HAPPY BIRTHDAY JENNIFER LYNN LOPEZ!

On July 24,1969 Jennifer Lynn Lopez was born in The Bronx, New York this Actress, entertainer, music artist, film & TV producer, fashion designer, entrepreneur and humanitarian, Jennifer Lopez is one of the most powerful and celebrated celebrities in entertainment. Today I am Celebrating a Woman who has been a True Inspiration in my Life. Since day 1 I have watch this woman blossom into a STRONG BORICUA WOMAN. She has taught me to ALWAYS stay TRUE to myself and NEVER COMPARAMIZE Who I am. Today I am Honored 2 Celebrate JENNIFER LYNN LOPEZ HAPPIE BIRTHDAY MAMA!!

Discovering Better Treatments

Here is this month Newsletter of ALL the activities taking place at CCFA. Letter from Rick Geswell, CCFA President I know you care about discovering better treatments and cures for IBD – so I know you'll be excited to hear that we have a match! For a limited time, you can help us accomplish twice as much in the search for treatments and cures. Until September 15th, every gift you make to the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America will automatically double. Thanks to a generous donor, every gift will be matched – dollar for dollar – up to a total of $50,000. That means your gift will do twice as much work in the fight to find cures for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. I hope you'll take advantage of this rare opportunity with a special donation to CCFA today. Personal Story: Jake Marcus Jake Jake Marcus's father Stephen was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in 2010. Jake remembers, "I saw my dad struggling and going to the hospital, and that touched me. I felt like something had to be done." The 23-year-old laced up his running shoes and joined Team Challenge – and that was only the beginning! Two years and five Team Challenge races later, Jake has had an enormous impact on IBD research. Read more about Jake, his father, and the hundreds of thousands of dollars they've raised for IBD research. If Jake's story inspires you, please join us in the fall for a Team Challenge event! read more Join our Financial Management Webcast on July 23! webcast The cost of IBD care is significant, and many families struggle with expenses. Our upcoming webcast on Tuesday, July 23, from 3:00-4:00pm ET will provide patients and loved ones with tips for managing healthcare costs. We will discuss several programs that can help cover the cost of treatment for both uninsured and underinsured patients, and speakers will also discuss disability coverage in IBD. There are only a few spaces left – register now! Advances in IBD Does your health care provider attend our Advances in IBD Conference? It is the premier annual conference for healthcare professionals and researchers who study and manage patients with IBD. This December, clinicians, researchers, allied health professionals, nurses, and pediatric gastroenterologists will gather in Hollywood, Florida to hear about practice-changing IBD research from world-renowned experts. Tell your doctor about this "can't miss" event! JULY 2013 ISSUE Take Steps TAKE A STEP TODAY! Take Steps is CCFA's largest fundraising event – please join us for a fall walk! Together, we raise funds and awareness and celebrate the steps we've taken towards treatments and cures. Get involved with your local event! Register today and join thousands of others in the fight against IBD. 2X THE IMPACT You can make twice the difference for people living with IBD. Until September 15th, your gift to CCFA will be doubled by a generous donor to help fund cutting-edge IBD research. ROUND UP FOR TREATMENTS AND CURES Did you know Gary Garfield, President and CEO of Bridgestone Americas, Inc., was the 2013 Take Steps National Chair? This month and next, Bridgestone America's stores and their affiliates are supporting CCFA with a round-up program. Show your support by taking care of your car this summer! IBD Clinical Trials & Other Studies CCFA provides a comprehensive database of IBD medical studies and clinical trials. Some of the recently added studies include: • A brief communication of treatment risks survey being conducted by National Analysts Worldwide • A study of Trichuris suis ova (TSO) in ulcerative colitis being conducted by the New York University School of Medicine • A study of oral CP-690,550 as an induction therapy in ulcerative colitis being conducted by Pfizer Deciding whether to participate in a clinical trial is an important personal decision, best made with a full understanding of the drug development process and a participant's role. Learn More

A Race for Dad

Here is a story from our CCFA Team Challenger Family Jake Marcus who shares his story about his Dad being diagnose with Crohn's. In 2010, when Jake Marcus’ father, Stephen Marcus, was diagnosed with Crohn’s, Jake decided the best thing to do was lace up his running shoes. “I saw my dad struggling and going to the hospital, and that touched me. I felt like something had to be done,” says Jake, a 23-year-old Boston-native and avid runner. A year later, he donned the orange singlet as a Team Challenge racer dedicated to finding cures for inflammatory bowel diseases- but he would have no way of knowing his effort to help his father would turn into so much more. “I have met more and more people that are affected by (these diseases), and that’s a great motivator for me,” says Jake, who also helped create Team Intestinal Fortitude, an organization comprised of a group of more than 20 family members and friends committed to raising money for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis research.Jake along with his family have raised more than $130,000 this year and raised more than $400,000 in total with the help of a series of successful events in their Massachusetts hometown and their heavy involvement in Team Challenge. “My favorite memory from Team Challenge is actually when we were announced as the top fundraiser in Napa our first year,” he adds. The five-time Team Challenge participatant says though racing in Vegas is his favorite Team Challenge event, each race is uniquely different every time he runs. This year he finished Team Challenge Virginia as one of the top runners of the race, even with an ankle injury. “My advice to anyone thinking of joining Team Challenge: Have fun with it. Races are an opportunity to celebrate and be together with other people, especially with Team Challenge, where everyone is racing for a great cause. Just stay calm and you'll make it to that finish line.” In the fall, Jake will follow in his father’s footsteps and attend law school at the University of Miami, but he insists that his busy schedule as a juris doctorate student won’t stop him from training for the next Team Challenge race. “Team Challenge is one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. It’s a lot of positive people for a great cause. It is such a gratifying challenge.” Online registration is now available for Team Challenge. If you are interested in learning more, find information meetings in your area here. Story brought to by our very own CCFA website. Here is the Link: www.ccfa.org

Celebrating FREEDOM

217 Years ago today Our Forefathers fought for Independence so that we can live freely. So I wanted to take this time to reflect on the history of United States of America. Here is the Story. On July 4, 1776, the thirteen colonies claimed their independence from England, an event which eventually led to the formation of the United States. Each year on July 4th, also known as Independence Day, Americans celebrate this historic event. Conflict between the colonies and England was already a year old when the colonies convened a Continental Congress in Philadelphia in the summer of 1776. In a June 7 session in the Pennsylvania State House (later Independence Hall), Richard Henry Lee of Virginia presented a resolution with the famous words: "Resolved: That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved." Lee's words were the impetus for the drafting of a formal Declaration of Independence, although the resolution was not followed up on immediately. On June 11, consideration of the resolution was postponed by a vote of seven colonies to five, with New York abstaining. However, a Committee of Five was appointed to draft a statement presenting to the world the colonies' case for independence. Members of the Committee included John Adams of Massachusetts, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, Robert R. Livingston of New York and Thomas Jefferson of Virginia. The task of drafting the actual document fell on Jefferson. On July 1, 1776, the Continental Congress reconvened, and on the following day, the Lee Resolution for independence was adopted by 12 of the 13 colonies, New York not voting. Discussions of Jefferson's Declaration of Independence resulted in some minor changes, but the spirit of the document was unchanged. The process of revision continued through all of July 3 and into the late afternoon of July 4, when the Declaration was officially adopted. Of the 13 colonies, nine voted in favor of the Declaration, two -- Pennsylvania and South Carolina -- voted No, Delaware was undecided and New York abstained. John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress, signed the Declaration of Independence. It is said that John Hancock's signed his name "with a great flourish" so England's "King George can read that without spectacles!" Today, the original copy of the Declaration is housed in the National Archives in Washington, D.C., and July 4 has been designated a national holiday to commemorate the day the United States laid down its claim to be a free and independent nation.

Hero at a Young Age: Jazz Little's Inspiring Story

Here is an Inspiring Story told in the words by Jennifer Little which is Jazz's Mother. Here is the Story. The day we bring our children into the world is the day we take on the most important job of our lives. At the age of three, Jazz was diagnosed with severe Crohn’s disease and his life was forever changed. No words can comfort you while your child suffers; you are never the same. When days about cartoons and building forts under the table are traded for medications, ER visits, tests, scans, blood draws, and too many scopes to count, you wonder how you can take another day. A little over a year since his diagnosis, Jazz is now five and we still have so much to learn. We are taking one day at a time. Through it all, Jazz is the strong one. He is always thinking of others and has been an inspiration for our community and our family. His strength amazes everyone he meets and when this disease takes him down, he never gives up. He instead powers through providing comfort to those around him. It is an eye-opening day when your child wipes away a tear on your face and tells you that everything will be okay. Jazz wants to be a part of finding cures for these diseases to help others fighting like him. So he has become heavily involved in Team Challenge. I encourage you to believe in the power of this community who bands together, fighting for so many who are living with these terrible diseases. Coming to terms with why our little boy has this illness has not been easy, but we believe that Jazz was given a purpose. We have chosen to focus on the positive and working on raising awareness. Our family motto: “Believe in cures. They are out there and together we will find them." Jazz is a part of finding cures for Crohn’s and colitis. You can get fit and change lives along with him when you sign up for Team Challenge. Story is taken from our Crohn's and Colitis Foundation website. Please visit our website at www.ccfa.org