The Why Behind CF Bites

OUR STORY

A nurse. A daughter. A diagnosis.

A Halloween night that changed everything.

The Founder

Taylor Lentz

Taylor Lentz is a registered nurse, a mother of two, and the founder of CF Bites Foundation. Long before CF became personal, Taylor cared for CF patients as a young nurse. She understood the disease up close.

In December 2020, her daughter Aubin was diagnosed with CF at two years old. The disease Taylor had always fought against had come home.

Taylor did not retreat. She organized. She rallied the Mount Pleasant and Charleston community and turned a Halloween party at Holy City Brewery into a $60,000 fundraiser and a movement.

“I had cared for these patients for years. I knew what the future could look like. I wasn't going to let that be Aubin's story.”

Taylor Lentz, Founder

Taylor Lentz, founder of CF Bites Foundation, with her daughter Aubin

Taylor & Aubin Lentz

The family behind CF Bites Foundation

Aubin Lentz, the heart of CF Bites Foundation, diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at age 2

Aubin Lentz

Diagnosed December 2020, age 2

The Heart of CF Bites

Aubin's Story

13,000+
Enzyme pills taken
1,200+
Doses of Trikafta
2
Age at diagnosis
2x
Daily breathing treatments

Aubin Lentz was two years old when she was diagnosed with CF in December 2020. Since then, she has taken over 13,000 enzyme pills and received more than 1,200 doses of Trikafta, a medication that costs $300,000 a year.

Trikafta has helped. But it is not a cure. And not every patient can access it. Aubin's daily routine, the pills, the vest, the treatments, the appointments, is a reminder that the fight is not over.

She is the reason CF Bites exists. She is the reason we will not stop.

How We Got Here

The CF Bites Timeline

2020The Diagnosis

December 2020. Taylor's daughter Aubin, age 2, is diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. A nurse who spent years caring for CF patients now faces the disease at home.

December 2020. Taylor's daughter Aubin, age 2, is diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. A nurse who spent years caring for CF patients now faces the disease at home.

2021The First CF Bites

Inspired by Halloween and fueled by the Charleston community, Taylor hosts the first CF Bites fundraiser at Holy City Brewery. Over $60,000 raised in one night.

2022Growing the Community

CF Bites expands. More sponsors, more donors, more awareness spreading across the Lowcountry and beyond.

CF Bites expands. More sponsors, more donors, more awareness spreading across the Lowcountry and beyond.

2023Foundation Formalized

CF Bites Foundation officially establishes its nonprofit structure and deepens its alignment with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's national mission.

2024Gala Grows

The annual gala becomes a signature Charleston event. Silent auction, sponsor partnerships, and a room full of people who show up for the right reason.

The annual gala becomes a signature Charleston event. Silent auction, sponsor partnerships, and a room full of people who show up for the right reason.

2025New Website. New Reach.

CF Bites launches a new digital home, expands its sponsor network, and closes out the year with its biggest annual gala yet.

2026The Fight Continues

New events. A growing community. The same relentless mission. CF Bites is just getting started.

New events. A growing community. The same relentless mission. CF Bites is just getting started.

What Drives Us

Mission, Vision & Values

Our Mission

We unite Charleston to raise awareness, fund research, and stand alongside families fighting cystic fibrosis - so every person with CF can live a longer, fuller, freer life.

Our Vision

A world where CF stands for Cure Found. Where no child’s life is cut short by this disease, and no family fights it alone.

Core Values

How we show up

Hope in Action

We don't just believe a cure is coming. We work for it, fund it, and refuse to let anyone face CF without community around them.

Community First

Charleston shows up for its own. Every neighbor, business, and friend who donates, sponsors, or shares a story is part of the cure.

Joy with Purpose

Fundraising can feel as alive as the lives we're fighting for. Costume parties, packed dance floors. Joy is how we sustain the fight.

Innovation and Progress

We back the science that changes outcomes - from gene modulators to next-generation therapies, especially for the 10% of CF patients still without treatment.

Stewardship and Trust

Every dollar is sacred. We are transparent with our donors, accountable to families, and aligned with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's mission.

Common Questions

What does "Until CF stands for Cure Found" mean?+
It is CF Bites Foundation's north star - the statement that every event, every dollar raised, and every conversation ladders up to one outcome: a cure for cystic fibrosis. We don't stop when treatments improve. We stop when CF patients no longer need them.
Who founded CF Bites Foundation?+
Taylor Lentz, a registered nurse and mother from Mount Pleasant, SC, founded CF Bites Foundation after her daughter Aubin was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at age two in December 2020. Taylor had cared for CF patients as a young nurse and refused to let that future be Aubin's story. She threw a Halloween party at Holy City Brewery that raised over $60,000 in one night - and CF Bites was born.
What is CF Bites Foundation's mission?+
CF Bites Foundation unites Charleston to raise awareness, fund research, and stand alongside families fighting cystic fibrosis - so every person with CF can live a longer, fuller, freer life. We direct our fundraising toward Cystic Fibrosis Foundation research programs and operate as a community-first organization rooted in the Lowcountry.
What is CF Bites Foundation's vision?+
A world where CF stands for Cure Found. Where no child's life is cut short by this disease, and no family fights it alone.
Where do CF Bites donations go?+
100% of net proceeds from CF Bites events support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the organization behind nearly every major CF research breakthrough of the last three decades. Through ticket sales, silent auctions, live pledges, and corporate sponsorships, CF Bites turns one night of community fundraising into year-round research impact.
What is cystic fibrosis?+
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that causes progressive lung damage, digestive complications, and shortened life expectancy. It affects over 40,000 Americans. While medications like Trikafta have transformed outcomes for approximately 90% of CF patients, there is still no cure - and roughly 10% of patients have no approved treatment. CF Bites exists to fund the science that closes that gap.
Is CF Bites Foundation connected to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation?+
CF Bites Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises funds in support of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's national research mission. We direct our fundraising toward CFF research programs while operating as a local organization rooted in Charleston, SC.
What are CF Bites Foundation's core values?+
CF Bites operates on five values: Hope in Action (we work for a cure, not just believe in one), Community First (Charleston shows up for its own), Joy with Purpose (fundraising can feel as alive as the lives we're fighting for), Innovation and Progress (we back the science that changes outcomes, especially for the 10% of patients still without treatment), and Stewardship and Trust (every dollar is sacred and every donor deserves transparency).
How can I get involved with CF Bites?+
Attend a CF Bites event, donate to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation through our giving page, become a corporate sponsor, volunteer at the annual gala, or simply share Aubin's story. Every action moves the needle. Email hello@charlestoncfbites.com to connect with our team.
Where is CF Bites Foundation based?+
CF Bites Foundation is based in Charleston and Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Our events take place throughout the Charleston metro area - from Holy City Brewery to venues across the Lowcountry.

YOU CAN HELP.
RIGHT NOW.

Donate money, give your time, or just show up. Every bit of it matters to Aubin and the 40,000 other people fighting CF today.

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