JANESVILLE, Wis. -- May is National Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month and Rock County residents took great strides toward helping to find a cure on Saturday.

The "Great Strides" walk for a cure was held at Janesville's Palmer Park. Dozens came out in an effort to raise $20,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, WISC-TV reported.

Cystic fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the U.S. A defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus that not only can clog the lungs and lead to life-threatening lung infections, but also obstructs the pancreas and stops natural enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food.

Similar walks will be held next weekend in Dodgeville, Monroe and Madison, organizers said.

For more information, check out the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Web site.