Our Team Fundraising Page

Christopher Mertz was the "best of the best". He was a great husband, father, and Gong Gong. He supported all those around him and kept friends for life. His kindness and good heart always shown through in even the most challenging days. His quick wit always brought down the house. He had a supply of dad jokes that never seemed to come close to being exhausted. He was truly a "one-in-a-million" kind of guy.

This "one-in-a-million" disease unfortunately took his life from us too soon. He was an active guy, always building and maintaining trails at his house and cutting firewood so that he could be stocked up for winter. 

On June 22, 2022, at the young age of 59, Christopher Mertz passed away from sporadic CJD. CJD was not a disease anyone in our family truly knew anything about. While we morn his passing, we also recognize that this is an opportunity to carry out Chris's legacy. Anything that you contribute to Strides for CJD will be used to research and find a cure for this horrible disease. Thank you.

Text to Give

To donate to our team, text STRIDES2024 MERTZ to 50155. 

About Fundraising

Donations of $250 and above are considered sponsorships.

Sponsorship Levels:

  • Premier: $20,000
  • Diamond: $10,000
  • Platinum: $5,000
  • Gold: $1,000
  • Silver: $500
  • Bronze: $250

Premier, Diamond, and Platinum Sponsors will have their name or logo displayed on participant t-shirts, the Strides for CJD website, and signage. Gold Sponsors will have their name or logo displayed on the Strides for CJD website, and will have their name (not their logo) listed on participant T-shirts and signage. Silver and Bronze Sponsors will have their name listed on the Strides for CJD website only.

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Our Supporters

  • Terri Hite Last month $106.00
  • Anonymous CHRIS' Crusaders- Hitting CJD Where It MERTZ Last month $53.00
  • Anonymous Last month
  • Shelly Ross Last month $20.00
  • Anonymous September 2024
  • Emily Wickert August 2024 $2,418.00
  • Dennis and Mary Davis July 2024 $1,060.00
  • Emily Wickert July 2024 $600.00
  • Sophia Mertz July 2024 $500.00
  • Christina Gould August 2024 $265.00

Recent Activity

About Strides for CJD

Strides for CJD is an annual walk/run to raise awareness of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), a rare neurodegenerative disease that has no treatment or cure. Through this event, anyone -- anywhere -- can pay tribute to their loved ones and raise funds for the CJD Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization.

Funds raised support our programs including:

  • Our 24/7 helpline, support groups, conference, and other family programs throughout the year.
  • Research grants to help scientists make important discoveries and bring us closer to a cure.
  • Medical education to help raise awareness and understanding of prion disease.