Press Release:
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (July 20, 2010) – Three-time world champ and known as one of the most influential surfers of all time and renowned musician, Tom Curren is set to perform his soulful music for the attendees of the Third Annual Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Pipeline to a Cure gala, which will raise funds to help find a cure for cystic fibrosis. The gala’s honorary co-chairs are legendary watermen Laird Hamilton and Dave Kalama who have served in this capacity since the inaugural event in 2008, and the event will be Saturday, July 31st at the Hyatt Regency Resort and Spa in Huntington Beach, Calif.
Like his surfing, Curren’s music is full of soul and heartfelt passion. Gala attendees will be treated to his amazing guitar rhythms and straightforward powerful lyrics delivered in his distinctively soothing voice. In addition to performing on his own, Curren has shared the stage with such accomplished artists as Jack Johnson, Jackson Browne, Perry Ferrell, G. Love, Donavon Frankenreiter and Switchfoot.’
“We are honored and stoked to have Tom Curren perform at our third Pipeline to a Cure gala,” said Paul Motenko, president, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Southern California Chapter. “The surf industry’s support for the CF mission to find a cure continues to swell every year, and we are grateful.”
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.
Raising more than $800,000 to date, the Pipeline to a Cure event was created to herald the discovery by Australian researchers who found that CF children who surfed had significantly healthier lungs. Doctors determined that inhaling saltwater mist has a powerful effect on rehydrating the lining of the lungs, which allows CF patients to more easily eliminate bacteria-contaminated mucus. This discovery led researchers to develop a hypertonic saline solution, which CF patients around the world now inhale every day. In essence, CF patients now mimic a “surf session” on a daily basis. In addition to the gala, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Pipeline to a Cure supporters plan surf days for kids with CF.
Other musical acts performing throughout the evening include Ryan Kalama and Kai Kalama, and Emily’s Army, a punk rock band from Oakland whose name honors the cousin of a band member who has cystic fibrosis. Pipeline to a Cure attracts a groundswell of support from the surf industry. Surf brands that support Pipeline include Billabong, Huntington Surf & Sport, Hurley, O’Neill, Quiksilver, Rip Curl, Stussy, Volcom and others.
For more information about Pipeline to a Cure or the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, please visit www.pipelinetoacure.com or www.cff.org.
About Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is the world’s leader in the search for a cure for cystic fibrosis. The Foundation funds more CF research than any other organization and nearly every CF drug available today was made possible because of Foundation support. Based in Bethesda, Md., the Foundation also supports and accredits a national care center network that has been recognized by the National Institutes of Health as a model of care for a chronic disease.
