One family makes a difference for their cause with 9 Square in the Air!  How could 9 Square in the Air possibly make a difference in the fight against Cystic Fibrosis?


Meet the Burns family:


Erin and Jim Burns have four kids ages 10-17. Like most parents they have high hopes for all their kids, but for their youngest son Dean, Erin says they will “never stop fighting for a chance to make his life as normal as possible.” Dean has cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system and can be life-threatening. He does treatments twice a day to keep his lungs clear and healthy and he is working hard to stay the thriving 10-year-old he is.

In hopes of a cure, Erin and Jim have hosted a fundraiser for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for the past 7 years. Their outdoor event “Chillin’ and Grillin’ for a Cure” draws a crowd of around 400, almost half of them kids. “The event focuses on the kids, but allows the parents to have fun, too,” Erin says. The older Burns children love raising funds and awareness for this disease, but they’re always looking for ways to increase the participation for the tweens and teens, as games are typically geared toward the younger kids.


Last year a local church offered the Burns family the use of their 9 Square in the Air game set and “it made our day absolutely FANTASTIC,” Erin said. “I was shocked at how easy it was to assemble, but even more at how 10-60 year olds played the game together! I wished I could have someone take over my hosting duties so I could have had more time to play!” The game really brought people of all ages together and helped to make the event fun. The fundraiser ended at 7 PM but the kids stayed and played until 10:30 PM thanks to the nearby streetlight that illuminated the game. “Our 14 and 12-yr-olds at the time said that 9 Square in the Air made the event for them.”

After hearing their story, 9 Square in the Air offered the Burns family a discount and they now have their own game set for future fundraising events. Sadly, their fundraiser had to be cancelled this year due to COVID-19 restrictions. If you’d like to learn more about cystic fibrosis and the Burns’ fundraiser, click on the button below.