Acton — Cynthia Edelman, director of French in Acton, Acton's premier French language school, donated more than $2,000 to a representative from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in January. In this second annual fundraiser, Edelman collected donations from her students and their families at French in Acton throughout December, contributing her match of $500 to present to this foundation that supports cystic fibrosis research, care and education programs.

More than 30 families participated in the fundraiser, including Concord residents and French in Acton students Natalie and Helen Simpson. Inspired by their parents' example, the sisters donated money from their piggybanks and were on hand for the check presentation.

"I never thought about making a donation before, but I saw my parents making a contribution and I wanted to do the same," Helen, 10, said. "It felt really good to be helping people."

Natalie, 7, echoed her sister's thoughts: "I learned last year that cystic fibrosis is a bad disease, and I wanted to help people find a cure."

"The holiday season is about showing generosity and kindness, and this annual fundraiser is a small way the French in Acton community makes time to honor those who need our support," said Edelman. "We hope to grow this tradition at French in Acton and continue to contribute to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to help make a difference in the lives of those afflicted with cystic fibrosis."

Edelman has a niece and nephew with cystic fibrosis; this fundraiser, begun in 2006, was inspired by their mother, Edelman's sister-in-law and childhood friend, who works tirelessly to make their world a better place. According to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, "The drug discovery and development 'pipeline' currently holds more than 25 promising CF therapies in clinical trials and six others in laboratory development. Any one of them, or a combination, could have a profound impact on the lives of people with cystic fibrosis."

This year's donation is an increase of 25 percent from last year's contribution of $1600.

To learn more about the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation or to make a contribution, visit www.cff.org.

French in Acton, located at 42 Davis Road, is a French language school that offers group and individual lessons to students of all ages and abilities.