The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Georgia named Millard Choate, Founder & Chairman of Choate Construction Company, and wife Sue, the recipients of their Lifetime Achievement Award. The Choate’s and their work were celebrated on February 17th during the Foundation’s annual meeting and volunteer award celebration.
“Millard and Sue Choate are worthy beyond words to receive the 2022 Lifetime Achievement from the Georgia Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) for their nearly 33 years of continuous, passionate support and leadership. Their lifetime of dedication will ensure that one day CF will stand for Cure Found,” says Molly Taggart, Area Director of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Choate Construction began supporting the cystic fibrosis cause when founder Millard Choate’s daughter’s best friend, Leann Ott, was diagnosed with the disorder as a toddler. At the time, the life expectancy was 13 years old. Since then, as Choate Construction grew, so too did the employees’ support of the CF Foundation, raising more than $6 million dollars to date. Their major fundraisers include Cars & ‘Q for the Cause (www.carsnq.com), the XTREME Hike, and other passion projects under Choate’s Building Up philanthropic program.
Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system. It causes the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus that clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections. It also interferes with the pancreas and stops digestive enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food.
When cystic fibrosis was first discovered in the 1930s, the median life expectancy was just five years old. Since then, thanks to incredible advancements in drug therapies and treatments propelled by the dedicated funding of private donors and events like Choate’s, the average life expectancy has increased to 50 years!
Millard and Sue’s ongoing commitment funds basic and translational research, while also supporting best-in-class specialized care centers. They inspire a dedicated cystic fibrosis community that is optimistic, resolute, and relentless in its drive to help everyone suffering from the disease. “I saw a tremendous amount of return on investment in the effort to eradicate the disease with the break-through drug Trikafta,” says Millard Choate. ”What we have seen in the last few years is truly life changing. Trikafta increases not only life expectancy, but quality of life in 90% of patients six years and older,” he said.
“No parent should have to outlive their child,” Sue says. “And no child should be subjected to the two to three hours of daily treatments, including nebulizers and therapy vests that shake the chest wall to loosen mucus,” she says.
Also recognized for his support was Choate Preconstruction Manager and 2022 Helping Hands award recipient Andrew Vittery. “I have been volunteering at Choate’s Cars & ‘Q car show and participating in the event’s fundraising for 14 years. We have seen drastic progression in the drugs that help fight the disease and overall life expectancy of CF patients. There are innumerable volunteering opportunities to help others in this world, but what the Choate Construction family has done for the cystic fibrosis community is incredible. I am honored to be a part of such a worthy cause,” says Vittery.
About Choate Construction Company
Choate Construction Company is one of the largest nationally recognized general contractors in the southeast with offices in Atlanta, Charleston, Charlotte, Nashville, Raleigh, and Savannah. Founded in 1989, 100% employee-owned Choate Construction specializes in both ground-up and interior construction, believing success is driven by its relationships and reputation. Choate has built a resume of projects large and small, across the nation in multiple market sectors. From its innovative OneLife safety program to its efforts to “Build Up” the communities in which it serves, the heart of Choate is its people. Please visit www.choateco.com for more information.
