The event kicks off September 21 at 8 a.m. at the Saratoga Lake Golf Club, 35 Grace Moore Road, featuring four-man teams in an 18-hole scramble. Games will include closest to the pin, longest drive, as well as first, second and third place prizes and a silent auction.
The Van Hattum family started the event to make the “C.F.” in cystic fibrosis, the life-threatening genetic disease that affects the lung and digestive system of 30,000 Americans, stand for “cure found.”
All proceeds will go to the foundation to help find a cure for people like 3-year-old Christopher David Motta, Jr., who was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at just two weeks old.
“(CJ)’s amazing,” said CJ’s mother, Tracy Van Hattum. Three years old and he’s like every other 3-year-old in this world. Outside you can’t see it, but on the inside it affects him. He doesn’t let it get him down. He just keeps going.”
In the past three years, Tracy, her fiancé, Chris Motta, and the rest of Team CJ has helped raise $40,000 for the foundation via raffles, craft fairs, cookouts and the March Cystic Fibrosis Cup for a Cause, among other things. The total money raised puts Team CJ in the top three in the Capital Region since 2010.
The idea for the tournament started with CJ’s godfather, Todd, and Chris. Tracy started working off the idea and the tournament came to life.
“We can’t find a cure without the money,” said Tracy. “Without the money there is no cure. Without a cure, these children, their life expectancy is 37 years old. I’m not saying it’s going to happen to every child, but it’s in the back of everybody’s mind.”
CJ is on medication every day, but there hasn’t been anything that has held her son back, said Tracy.
“He’s just like an average child with this silent disease that is so close to a cure,” she said. “Every day is a new day. That’s how you take it. No matter how you look at it, CJ’s a miracle.”
Chris and Tracy, high school sweethearts who have been together 17 years, were once told they could not have a child.
“When you’re given the choice of do you want to go ahead and run the risk of him having cystic fibrosis or do you want to do the test and run with the chance that you could lose him, we took the one with the risk of him having C.F. He has C.F., but he’s a fighter. I was told I would never have a child and he’s here.”
At the fundraising tournament, a $100 per-person fee will include a green fee, cart and food at the turn and a buffet lunch.
Search for “CJ’s Breathe Easy Golf Outing” and “Team CJ (Doing our part to make CF stand for Cure Found)” on Facebook to get more information on the disease and how you can help. You can also donate to the cause via http://www.cff.org/Great_Strides/dsp_DonationPage.cfm?walkid=8265&idUser=375742.
