Nineteen of the best and brightest young professionals in our area are in the spotlight this week.

They were nominated and selected to be the the latest class of Rising Stars for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Western New York.

“These individuals are between the ages of 21 and 40 and they are seen as leaders in both their work and community,” explained Lauren Orlowski, development manager for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. “And what’s really great about the program is not only are we honoring them, but there are so many great benefits to being part of the program.”

Every year, the Rising Stars spend 12 weeks in professional development, growing their professional networks and making connections in the community, all while giving back to cystic fibrosis patients in our area.

“It only impacts about 30,000 Americans, and a thousand new cases are discovered every year, and in the Western New York area we have about 180 individuals that are impacted by this disease,” Orlowski said.

The rising stars are dedicated fundraisers, collecting donations to help the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation find a cure for the deadly disease.

That’s a cause that hits close to home for this year’s to fundraiser in the Rising Stars class, Kristen Cavalleri.

“I was sick when I was young and I benefited from a clinical trial, so for me, when I found out more, as a I started to do some digging about cystic fibrosis, it was really important to me that I got involved,” she told News 4.

Cavalleri says her whole experience with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has been eye opening.

“I think a lot of people think that’s limited to the lungs because that’s the most visible symptom, but there is just so much to it, and getting to meet someone who has it and getting to talk to other people within the foundation that either are family members or friends of and their experiences has really just changed my perspective,” she told News 4.

On November 15, Cavalleri and all of the Rising Stars will be guests of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation at a big dinner, honoring them for the difference they’ve made. They’re working to raise $79,000 by then.

“That money that is being raised goes towards drug and research development and that’s the reason that we’re going to get one step closer to a cure,” Orlowski said.

If you’d like to get tickets to attend Thursday’s dinner, click here.

Nominations for next year’s class of Rising Stars are being accepted now.