As the first foundation to promote surfing clinics for children and adults battling cystic fibrosis, the Mauli Ola Foundation, with the support of SME and Ambry Genetics, will host its 4th annual “Surfers for Cystic Fibrosis” golf tournament this week.
Proceeds from the event will help fund the foundation’s Surf Experience Days program that exposes CF patients nationwide to the salty sea air which has shown to help relieve the symptoms of CF.
The tournament will be played at Monarch Beach Golf Links and begin at 1 p.m. on Aug. 2. The “Surfers for Cystic Fibrosis” golf tournament will host 144 players and includes professional surfers and athletes, celebrities and major biotech companies.
Among the surfers scheduled to take part are Sunny Garcia, Bruce Irons, Kala Alexander, Kalani Robb, Dusty Payne and many more.
Research has shown that salty sea air provides similar benefits of hypertonic saline, the primary treatment for CF. CF is a lifelong debilitating disorder which primarily affects the lungs, digestive tract and other areas of the body. It is a life-threatening congenital disease that causes thick mucus to build up in these areas of the body affecting breathing. CF patients require rigorous daily treatments that includes an intensive regimen of medicines to help break up the mucus to allow patients to breathe easier.
“The ‘Surf Experience Days’ program was created to get kids and young adults who suffer from CF out into the ocean where they can benefit from the natural ocean air,” said James Dunlop, president of Mauli Ola Foundation. “It has been discovered that breathing in hypertonic saline (salty water) helps breakdown the congestion that lines the lungs, enabling the release of mucus and inevitably breathe easier. Through the constant work of foundations such as Mauli Ola, better treatments and eventually a cure are hopefully in the near future. The support of our sponsors and participation by professional surfers and athletes at the golf tournament enables Mauli Ola to continue its mission to provide ‘Surf Experience Days’ for those battling CF.”
Find out more here.
