Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Ripley.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
When I was in my young 30s, I started volunteering for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation . After a few years, I realized that there were no events affordable for people my age to give back to the community. I ran an idea for an event past at the time the executive Director of the CF Foundation, Beth Heyboer. . She agreed it was a good idea, but suggested I plan and run the event with friends then donate the money to the foundation.
The name of the event I created was called , “Bid for Bachelor’s & Bachelorette’s” (BID) . The first year we raised $5000, the second year we raised $9000, and the third year we raised $18,000. After the 3rd year, . I realized that the event was becoming a staple in the community.. I decided it was time to talk to Beth. (who also has a son with CF.) about starting our own charity to help those in our community. She agreed, so In 2003 together we started Friends & Families of Cystic Fibrosis (FFCF
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease that affects the lungs, pancreas and digestive system. It is an inherited disease that is passed down from generation to generation. At this time, there is no cure. In the last few years, there have been major medical advancements that has greatly improved the quality of life.
FFCF is an all volunteer organization that has maintained our mission of helping CF families for over 23 years. We bring care packages to patients when they are hospitalized, we help with rent and mortgage, utility bills, transportation, gym, memberships, medical expenses & equipment and much more! Our goal is to is their burdens and bring them a small piece of joy that the disease has taken from them.
BID lasted 23 years before Covid derailed our progress. Thankfully, our last BID event was on March 5, 2020 one week before the world shut down. We were able to raise over $150,000 at that event. I was thankful for the amount we raised considering over the next few years we helped a lot of families through a very tough time. Instead of BID we now do a Masquerade Ball. We also do a golf outing that my husband Doug has championed called , Cheers to Michigan Big Hole & Par Crawl, This event takes place in the fall and is a combination of a big hole golf outing and a bar crawl. A variety of holes on the course have tastings of different local brews, wine, and seltzers. We sell out every year and golfers look forward to it every year! This year it takes place on Saturday, September 12, 2026 at Arrowhead Golf Course.
Over the years it has taken many dedicated volunteers to make it all happen. None of this would possible without them. FFCF has been incredibly blessed to have had so many people join the mission to help those with Cystic Fibrosis!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Everything was going smooth until Covid. We had gained a lot of momentum over the years that was derailed when the world shut down. Over the course of the next few years, diesel fuel a lot of volunteers branched out and started doing other things.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
When I started FFCF, I had a full-time job working at an accounting firm. Thankfully, they encouraged community involvement, so a lot of my event planning could take place during work hours.. When the accounting firm closed, I went to work for a family owned plumbing company. Where I am still employed. Thankfully, I work for a very supportive boss/owner who has financially donated a lot to FFCF..
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
The amount of people who have stepped up to help with planning events for FFCF has been nothing short of amazing! It takes a village to plan events, and with FFCF being an all volunteer organization, we are lucky to have the support that we do.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ffofcf.org
