The Friends of CF Golf Classic has been swinging its way toward a cure for the fatal disease for the past 25 years. Scheduled for Aug. 28, this is the first year the tournament will be hosted in Cochrane at The Links of GlenEagles Golf Course.
The Friends of CF Golf Classic has been swinging its way toward a cure for the fatal disease for the past 25 years.
Scheduled for Aug. 28, this is the first year the tournament will be hosted in Cochrane at The Links of GlenEagles Golf Course.
“It's a disease I am passionate about, ” the organizer of the event Kayley MacLennan said. “I'm passionate about every dollar raised and awareness. ”
MacLennan's father, Wayde Collins, is one of the four fathers who helped create the event - it's her little brother Karson Collins who suffers from CF.
“It's called a silent killer, ” MacLennan stated. “When you look at someone with CF they look normal. ”
Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disorder - it affects the lungs, pancreas, liver, kidneys and intestines. Some symptoms include salty-tasting skin, sinus infections, poor growth, fatty stool, accumulation of thick, sticky mucus and clubbing of the fingers and toes. The degree of symptoms solely depends on the person. Long-term issues include: difficult breathing and coughing up mucus due to frequent lung infections. There is no known cure - individuals with CF are usually diagnosed as a baby by either sweat testing or genetic testing. One out of every 25 people are a carrier and one out of every 3,000 newborns are diagnosed with the disease.
MacLennan took over organizing the event two years ago when Matthew McWhirter, a sufferer of the disease, stepped aside to raise his young family.
Matthew had organized the event for 16 years - he took over from his father, Sam McWhirter, who was one of the founders.
Matthew was diagnosed when he was eight years old, which is extremely rare. He displayed very few symptoms - the main one being frequent earaches.
Now at 34, he is still relatively symptom free and describes himself as being one of the few CF suffers who could “stand to lose a few pounds. ”
Being in the golf industry and having the disease, he thought it made sense to take over organizing the event.
“Any event we can run for CF is important, ” Matthew said. “It's a difficult nut to crack over awareness.
“It's often success stories that bring people in - it's a degenerative disease - No one beats CF - CF eventually beats you. ”
Treatment for CF has come a long way. Years ago, many individuals had a grim chance of graduating high school - now the average life expectancy is around 52.
Matthew believes there needs to be more publicized success stories.
“I graduated high school, went to college and plan to live forever, ” Matthew said with a laugh.
His father, Sam, ran the event for around four years before Matthew took over - when he saw Matthew's passion.
“It was important, ” Sam said about stepping down for his son. “It was important to Matthew. ”
Wayde Collins remembers the exact moment when the four founders decided to start the tournament.
“We were at a fundraiser in Lake Louise, ” Collins remembered. “We were going up the chairlift and Sam said, ‘Why don't we start a golf tournament?' ”
“When is comes to family all the money you raise is not enough … you have to do the best with what you have … to ask for a cure is huge. ”
Wayde's son Karson was three months old under when he was diagnosed with CF.
Karson had undergone 72 tests and believed at first to have either Crohn's disease, leukemia or CF. Wayde recalls the time as being devastating.
Karson said his family has been unbelievably supportive and is excited that they do everything they can to spread awareness to find a cure and couldn't be happier his sister has taken over the tournament.
“She's probably the best person for the job, ” Karson stated.
MacLennan's goal is to get 80 golfers to compete in the tournament -72 have currently registered.
The event, which is geared toward generating support and awareness - as well as funds - for the CF community, also has some exciting perks.
Riverside Insurance Services will award $10,000 to any golfer who gets a hole-in-one at the No. 12 hole and Mountain View Dodge will award $10,000 off a vehicle purchase if a golfer gets a hole-in-one on the No. 3 hole.
There will also be a silent auction and a wine raffle.
The Friends of CF golf tournament will take place on Aug. 28 at The Links of GlenEagles Golf course starting at 11 a.m.
