Cystic fibrosis fundraiser Saturday at garden

Because his 18-year-old son, Joseph, suffers from cystic fibrosis, Dr. Philip Morris has for the past several years been a cheerful participant in the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's annual "Great Strides" walk-a-thon fundraiser.

But in this year's local event - set for 8:30 a.m. Saturday at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia - Morris won't be making the 5K trek - on foot.

The Athens native, who operates a family medical practice on Athens' east side, broke his right foot a few weeks ago.

"I'm not walking, but I am riding - in a wheelchair," Morris says. "I'll be there, either rolling the chair myself or being pushed. As a matter of fact, I've started a little thing called 'Here's Your Chance to Push Dr. Morris Around.' Anybody that will donate $100 can come out and push me around in a wheelchair."

In what will one day go down as a cherished family memory, Morris says his broken foot came about in a rather interesting manner - he and his family were discussing his daughter's upcoming wedding, and he hopped up to do his take on a Russian dance. His moves went a bit awry. "So we have a great family story about the wedding already," he says.

For the fourth consecutive year, Morris has put a team of fundraisers - called "Geronimo" - in place, and he says he and his "Great Stride" partners have raised more than $8,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in the past three years.

Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that creates a thick mucus, and causes blockages of tubes and ducts in the body, primarily affecting the lungs and digestive system. "Great Strides" is the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's major fundraiser and provides funding (some $35 million was raised nationwide in 2009) for development, support and research for a cure.

"When I was in training, cystic fibrosis was a hopeless disease," says Morris, who has practiced medicine