Volunteers and their Families Unite in MN, NH, NJ, and MD to Raise Money and Awareness of Pulmonary Fibrosis in Their Communities

CHICAGO, Sept. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) today announced its September schedule of fundraising events as part of its ongoing campaign to support the efforts of patients and families to raise new funds for pulmonary fibrosis (PF) research.

Throughout the year, the PFF works with volunteers across the country to establish fundraising events, support groups, and disease awareness initiatives in local communities. In fact, volunteer-led local events have raised more than $100,000 for the PFF in 2010 alone. A complete listing of the PFF's fundraising events is available on our Web page at http://www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org./Events.

During the month of September, fundraisers will be held by the following patients, families and loved ones in Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Maryland.

The Jim Smith Memorial Golf Tournament (Oak Grove, MN)

For the second year the Jim Smith Foundation holds its annual golf tournament to raise money to find a cure for PF. Registration and Warm-up will start at 11:30am and there will be a 1:30pm shotgun start. After the tournament there will be a Social Hour at 5:30pm that will include a silent auction, dinner and awards program. To register for the tournament contact Judy Smith 763-753-3447.

Refuge Golf Club

21250 Yellowpine St. NW

Oak Grove, MN

Contact: Judy Smith jimsmithfoundation@yahoo.com or 763-753-3447

Garden State 5K Run/Walk (Cranford, NJ)

The Garden State Pulmonary Fibrosis Support Group is sponsoring this annual event on Saturday, September 18, 2010. Entry fee is just $5.00! Check-In/Registration starts at 9AM and the 5K starts at 10AM around beautiful Nomahegan Park.

Nomahegan Park

1033 Springfield Ave.

Cranford, NJ

Register at: http://www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org./GardenState5K

Contact : Barbara Murphy bjmurphy21@comcast.net or 908-276-3394

Wine Tasting for Pulmonary Fibrosis (Amherst, NH)

In order to raise money and awareness about this terrible disease Cathleen Brown is hosting a wine tasting event in memory of both her mother Patricia Jasse, who passed away from PF, and her father Robert Jasse. Wine Tasting for Pulmonary Fibrosis will be held at LaBelle Winery on Saturday, September 25th from 4-6 PM. Tickets are $25.00. Her goals of this event is to offer a fun evening, while providing local merchants an opportunity to advertise their business through donations to the event as well as educate the community about PF.

100 Chestnut Hill Road

Amherst, NH 03031

Register at: http://www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org./WineTasting

Contact: Cathleen Brown cathleen.brown@gmail.com

Lisa Sandler Spaeth Memorial Dinner Event (Rockville, MD)

Lisa Sandler Spaeth, a wonderful mother, wife, daughter, sister and aunt, died of complications from PF on May 1, 2007. Her family has put together this event in her memory to benefit the Johns Hopkins Center for Pulmonary Fibrosis. Since initiating fundraising efforts for Pulmonary Fibrosis, nearly $3 million has been raised for the Center. Please join them on Tuesday, September 28, 2010 for an evening of fun, friends and food at Woodmont Country Club.

Woodmont Country Club

1201 Rockville Pike

Rockville, MD 20852

Register at: http://www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org./node/412

Contact: Lauren Sandler Pinnar (703) 860-0686 or lpinnar@gmail.com

These events are open to anyone who would like to participate. Proceeds from the Garden State Walk and Wine Tasting events will benefit the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, while the Lisa Sandler Spaeth Memorial Dinner Event will benefit the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (Baltimore, MD).

If you are a person who has been affected by pulmonary fibrosis, or know someone who has the disease, please contact us at info@pulmonaryfibrosis.org or call 888-733-6741 to learn what you can do to help, to become a member, and to join our efforts to cure pulmonary fibrosis in our lifetimes.

About Pulmonary Fibrosis

According to the National Institutes for Health (NIH), IPF is a condition in which over a period of time the lung tissue becomes thickened, stiff, and scarred. The development of the scar tissue is called fibrosis. As the lung tissue becomes scarred and thicker, the lungs lose their ability to transfer oxygen into the bloodstream. As a result, the brain and other organs don't get the oxygen they need. In some cases, doctors can determine the cause of the fibrosis, but in most cases, there is not a known cause. When there is no known etiology for the fibrosis (and certain pathologic criteria are met) the disease is called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis or IPF. IPF affects approximately 200,000 Americans and an estimated 40,000 Americans pass away from IPF each year.

About the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation

The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to find a cure for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) by funding research, advocating for pulmonary fibrosis issues, promoting disease awareness, and providing a compassionate environment for patients and their families. We aim to accomplish this by working with the medical community to drive new research, increase research funding, by representing the needs of our constituents in Washington DC through national advocacy, and by developing caring relationships with patients and their families throughout the course of their disease. Since the inception of the Foundation, it has funded close to $3,000,000 in basic research. For more information please visit www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org or call (888) 733-6741.

CONTACT: Matt Derda of The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, +1-312-239-6628 or mderda@pulmonaryfibrosis.org

SOURCE The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation