Mike Farwell is the host of The Mike Farwell Show and the play-by-play broadcaster for the Kitchener Rangers on CityNews 570. Mike also runs an annual fundraising campaign called Farwell4Hire, during which he does odd jobs in exchange for a donation to CF.
The Farwell4Hire fundraising campaign was created in memory of Luanne and Sheri Farwell. These courageous sisters lost their lives to cystic fibrosis (CF), the most common fatal genetic disease in Canada. Luanne died in the fall of 1993 at the age of 24 and, just nine months later, Sheri succumbed to cystic fibrosis at the age of 18. These young women left a legacy of caring, compassion, and kindness, characteristics that are remembered fondly to this day. This campaign carries on Luanne and Sheri’s legacy by contributing to important research that will one day create a world without CF. As we continue that journey, we are continuing to improve the lives of people living with this terminal disease.
Investing in the best research has led to outstanding progress in the fight against cystic fibrosis. Today, 50 percent of Canadians with CF are expected to live into their early 50s and beyond, and 60 percent of all people with CF in Canada are adults. In the 1960s, most children did not live long enough to attend kindergarten.
Farwell4Hire is a fundraiser with a twist.
Each year in the month of May, Luanne and Sheri’s brother, Mike, hires himself out for odd jobs in exchange for a donation to cystic fibrosis. Adding to the unique nature of the campaign, Farwell4Hire is a fundraiser with absolutely no overhead. Managed entirely through the efforts of volunteers, every dollar donated to Farwell4Hire is a dollar donated directly to CF.
Since Farwell4Hire began, it has helped to contribute more than $1-million to CF research. Together, we have made a remarkable difference, and our work will not stop until we find a cure.