Laird Hamilton, Dave Kalama Host ‘Pipeline To A Cure’ Gala
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- June 17 2009
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Surf industry VIPs will be in the house for the Second Annual Pipeline To A Cure Gala Saturday, July 18, in Huntington Beach, Calif. The event, which will be hosted this year by surf legends Laird Hamilton and Dave Kalama, will benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. TransWorld SURF Editor-In-Chief Chris Cote will emcee the evening, which will feature a special performance by Shiny Toy Guns. Here’s some additional information, straight from the source:
“… radio personality Shawn Parr will be the night’s auctioneer. Event co-chairs include Paul Motenko, co-founder of BJ’s Restaurants; Jerry Hennessy, co-founder of BJ’s Restaurants; Judy Burlingham, owner of Coast Benefit Consultants; and Todd Elder, owner of Newport Surf Camps. The event will be sponsored by PacSun, a leading surf, skate and youth lifestyle retailer.
The CF Foundation’s Pipeline to a Cure campaign was initiated after research showed that young cystic fibrosis (CF) patients who surf had healthier lungs. CF is a fatal genetic disease that causes the body to produce thick, sticky mucus, which clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections. Doctors in Australia determined that inhaling saltwater mist has a powerful effect on rehydrating the lining of the lungs and allowing CF patients to more easily eliminate bacteria-contaminated mucus. This “saltwater” breakthrough has led to hypertonic saline treatments which CF patients around the world use daily.
The Pipeline to a Cure campaign is raising funds and increasing global awareness of the unique bond between the sport of surfing and those with cystic fibrosis. Last year’s inaugural gala raised more than $400,000 for research and patient care.
“For the CF Foundation, the Pipeline to a Cure campaign and gala brings the CF message to a new audience of potential supporters with a passion for the ocean. So many in the surfing community, upon learning of the positive impact on those with CF, have enthusiastically embraced our cause and we hope this event only furthers their interest and commitment,” said Colleen O’Higgins, Executive Director, Southern California-Orange County CF Foundation.
More than 70,000 CF patients face a daily battle, enduring hours of daily therapies and treatments to reduce the impact of mucus build-up in the lungs. While average life expectancy has doubled in the past 25 years to age 37 — due to advances in treatment and care — funding is still urgently needed to find the miracle drug leading to a cure.
About the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is the leading organization devoted to curing and controlling cystic fibrosis. Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., the Foundation funds CF research, has 73 chapter and branch offices throughout the country, and accredits a nationwide network of 115 CF care centers, which provide vital treatments and other CF resources to patients and families. To advance the search for a cure, CFF has invested nearly $300 million in promising scientific research in the biotechnology industry since 1998. As a result, the Foundation has more than 30 potential therapies in its drug discovery and development pipeline. Virtually every approved CF drug available today was made possible because of Cystic Fibrosis Foundation support.”
For more information, visit www.cff.org or pipelinetoacure.com
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