Student-led thrift sale raises awareness for cystic fibrosis

Student-led thrift sale raises awareness for cystic fibrosis

Breathe Hope, a student organization at The Ohio State University, recently hosted its second thrift sale to raise awareness and funds for cystic fibrosis research.

Over the years, Breathe Hope has held collaborative events with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Nationwide Children's Hospital.

Breathe Hope President Melanie Riether helped to organize the thrift sale.

"With the generations changing and the world changing, fundraising is entirely different from what it used to be. So we've been trying to take it in different, creative ways," said Riether, a third-year medical anthropology major. "Being college students, shopping from big brands is not the best option while in school. … We're trying to save money."

Items being sold were donated by many students, ranging from members of Ohio State sororities to friends who support advancing cystic fibrosis treatment and research, Riether said.

Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disorder that causes severe damage to the lungs, digestive system and other organs in the body.

In July, Governor Mike DeWine announced that The state of Ohio will expand its screening of newborns for different types of cystic fibrosis, allowing those affected to get early treatment and have a better chance of living a healthier life.

Spreading awareness of cystic fibrosis is very important, and this year's thrift sale was filled with people eager to shop and contribute to the cystic fibrosis cause, Riether said.

"This year's event saw a steady flow of participation, and we received positive feedback from students, making it feel like a step forward compared to last year," she said.

Riether is excited about other events this year, including the 65 Roses Challenge, a successful international fundraising event named for a child who didn't know how to say cystic fibrosis, so he called it "65 roses."

For the 65 Rose Challenge at Ohio State, Breathe Hope will set up a stand in the Oval the day before and on Valentine's Day to sell roses to spread awareness of cystic fibrosis and fund cystic fibrosis research.

Breathe Hope is an official student organization at Ohio State, which contributes to its success, Riether said.

"The size of the campus allows us to engage more students, creating awareness about cystic fibrosis in ways that align with their passions," she said. "This presence enables us to make a lasting impact and extend our advocacy efforts in a meaningful way."

Riether believes that spreading awareness of cystic fibrosis will garner more support for Breathe Hope and allow people to better understand the organization's goal for the Ohio State community.

"We always like to say at Breathe Hope: We want students to be aware of how thankful they should be for the lifestyle that they have. So that's the number one goal - is just building an aware community [of] students who want to come together to share this."

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