(l-r) Professional bowlers Len Reyngoudt, Ryan Shafer, Brian LeClair and Nick Miseno helped (kneeling) Jack Fitzsimmons of Barbecue Recreation raise funds to fight Cystic Fibrosis, a disease that afflicts about 30,000 children and adults in the US and, close to Jack’s heart, his nephew little Matthew Kempf. (Bea Peterson photo)
by Bea Peterson
Close to 100 people turned out for the Cystic Fibrosis Pro Am and Coaching Clinic at Barbecue Lanes on Sunday, September 28. League bowlers had a chance to bowl side by side with professional bowlers Brian LeClair of Hudson, Nick Miseno of Amsterdam, Len Reyngoudt of Schenectady and Ryan Shafer of Horseheads, NY. “Everyone had a great time,” said Barbecue Recreation’s Jack Fitzsimmons. Between entrance fees and the after lunch raffle, which raised $870, Fitzsimmons will send a $3,571 donation to Northeastern NY Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in Albany. Barbecue Recreation would also like to thank Saratoga Eagle, DeCrescente Distributing, Hannaford Supermarkets and top ticket seller and statistician Michelle Hayner for their help and support in making the day so successful.
The Adult Division was won by Rich Bennett (813 w/hdcp) and the Youth Division was won by Joe Wolfrum (883 w/hdcp). Fitzsimmons hopes to make the Bowling Pro Am and Coaching Clinic an annual event to raise funds for Cystic Fibrosis.
According to information available at the Northeastern website, Cystic fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the United States (70,000 worldwide). A defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus that clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections and obstructs the pancreas and stops natural enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food.
In the 1950s, few children with cystic fibrosis lived to attend elementary school. Today, advances in research and medical treatments have further enhanced and extended life for children and adults with CF. Many people with the disease can now expect to live into their 30s, 40s and beyond.
About 1,000 new cases of cystic fibrosis are diagnosed each year. More than 70% of patients are diagnosed by age two. More than 40% of the CF patient population is age 18 or older.