June 3 Memorial Golf Tournament Benefits Pulmonary Fibrosis Research

The fifth annual Greg Chandler, Guy F. Solimano Memorial Golf Tournament will be held Sunday, June 3, to raise funds for pulmonary fibrosis research at the University of Rochester Medical Center and the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation.

The tournament begins with lunch at noon followed by a 1 p.m. shotgun start at Webster Golf Club. The event includes golf, cart, lunch, dinner and prizes and costs $80 per golfer. Supporters can enjoy dinner only for $40.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is diagnosed when lung tissue becomes thickened, stiff, and scarred. The development of the scar tissue is called fibrosis, and as it progresses, the lungs thicken and are unable to transfer oxygen into the bloodstream causing shortness of breath. This disease affects about 200,000 Americans each year. There are other treatable forms of lung fibrosis, however idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is particularly difficult to treat.

Greg Chandler died from the disease in 2007, leaving his wife, Cindy, and two teen sons. His family organized the tournament in his honor in 2008. A year later, Cindy Chandler’s father died from lung disease and now the event is held in memory of both men. To date, they have raised nearly $100,000.

Funds raised will support, in part, Patricia Sime, M.D., who leads a large research program focused on finding new therapies and potential cures for this challenging disease. She is chief of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicineand professor of Medicine, Environmental Medicine, Microbiology and Immunology, and Oncology, as well as director of Pulmonary Research Programs and associate chair of Medicine for Research.

To register, email golfforgreg@hotmail.com.