Laird Hamilton out in front of huge Groundswell of support for CF Research
This weekend Laird Hamilton, big wave surfer, dropped in on what could be the most rewarding ride of his life
Saturday night at the Hyatt Regency,Huntington Beach (aka Surf City CA) big wave surfer Laird Hamilton took time out to support Pacsun's Pipeline To A Cure for Cystic Fibrosis. Laird joined his friend , David Kalama and co-chaired the event at the Hyatt Regency in Huntington Beach, to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The gala was a fundraising campaign recognizing the connection between surfing and the deadly genetic disease, Cystic Fibrosis. Nowhere in sports can you point to an example where participation in the sport actually helps to mitigate the impact of a disease. We all know surfing is great for the soul and the body, but in this case, it actually helps fight the crippling effects of disease. That is unique and it presents a one of kind opportunity for the surfing world to help ease suffering for thousands of people worldwide. Attendees at Saturday nights gala included the world's top surfers and extreme sports leaders.
It was a spectacular evening honoring Wing Lam, Mingo Lee and Ed Lee of Wahoo's Fish Tacos for their many years of support for the CF Foundation and other worthwhile causes. There was an acoustic performance by legendary rockers Social Distortion, a silent auction hosted by auctioneer Shawn Parr of Go Country 105 FM , Hors D' Oeuvres, dinner, and dancing. The Master of Ceremonies was Rick Dickert of Fox 11 Morning News and Good Day L.A. In true Aloha Spirit the dress was resort casual and the Hyatt provided complimentary valet parking for all attendees. There was an opportunity drawing for a Toyota Prius, the silent and live auction items were "priceless" as the entire surf industry got on board and donated many "epic" items. Everyone attending the evening left with a PacSun swag bag that included gifts from Cadbury Adams, Whale Tails Tortilla Chips, Rainbow Sandals, DVD BamMan Films, Green Cupcake Company, Toyota, Ocean Potion, and Gringo Bandito. "This wonderful and direct connection between the surfing community and cystic fibrosis is unparalleled," commented PIPELINE TO A CURE Co-Chair Jerry Hennessy.
Hamilton and Kalama jumped on board to support the cause when they met surfer and cystic fibrosis patient Emily Haager. Haager, a 25 year old surfer from Diamond Bar, is the face for Pipeline to a Cure. "Our duties as co-chairmen are to help push the snowball over the hill," Kalama explained. "We want to help raise as much awareness and get as many people on board as possible by lending our name to the cause. Surfing has been so great to us and now it is our chance to give back."Emily has been battling cystic fibrosis since she was six months old. Lung infections and issues began at age four. The correlation between surfing and healing surfaced when patients with cystic fibrosis reported feeling better after hitting the waves, stating that their chests felt relieved as the ocean water cleared the mucus from their sinuses and lungs. The finding made complete sense, as now the top daily treatment for the disease, Hypertonic Saline Solution, mimics a "surf session" for the lungs. Hamilton added, "To me, the healing aspect of surfing for CF patients makes perfect sense to me. I see what surfing has done for me with recharge, recovery and how it affects me personally. Those with CF do not live forever and carry a horrible physical burden that none of us can imagine. This is why Dave and I want to participate in this cause, so that we can help raise money for additional medical research and hopefully find a cure."
Together, Hamilton and Kalama will now continue to lend their time and efforts to raise as much money as possible to further medical breakthroughs to find a cure for the disease. Saturday's event has generated a major groundswell of support for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Hamilton and Kalama are now calling upon all surfers to support this effort. Supporters that have already signed on with Laird and David are the "Who's Who" of the Surf Community and include businesses and individuals like: PacSun, Wahoos, the Kelly Slater Foundation, Whale Tails Tortilla Chips, Todd Elder of Newport Surf Camp, Cordell Miller of Cordell Surfboards, BJ's Restaurants, Tony Hawk Foundation, Coast Benefit Consultants, Mike Sullivan's LACarGuy.com, Rainbow Sandals, Quicksilver Roxy Surf Camps, Quicksilver Foundation, Ambry Genetics Corporation, Mauli Ola Foundation, Volcom, Mickey Munoz, Jericho Poplar, Gerry Lopez, Drew Kampion, Brock Glover, Newport Surf Camp, and more...
The worlds of surfing and finding a cure for cystic fibrosis have collided and are forever connected.
In fact my HTS conjures up memories of wiping out and swallowing waves. Too bad there isn't much surf action on the Chesapeake Bay.... ~Juliet