Swinging Clubs for Kidney Research

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Created on Friday, 05 October 2012 10:12
Written by Brian Stone

golf tourneyST. JOHNSBURY - A little wet weather did not stop the group of golfers and volunteers Thursday at the 8th Annual Celtic Marketing Golf Tournament to benefit the Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation, held at the St. Johnsbury Country Club. Polycystic kidney disease affects six hundred thousand people in the United States, and has no cure.

 

So the foundation organizes events such the golf tournament to help raise both money and awareness.

"Throughout the fall, we've got fifty walks going on," said Steve Flander of the PKD Foundation, "to hopefully raise two million dollars."

For Dan Huges, the organizer of the tournament, the day was about more than just golf. "My sister had a polycystic kidney," Huges said. "Basically a good kidney is about the size of your fist and a polycystic kidney is about the size of a football, and it's very, very painful, and you have to find a transplant or unfortunately it can be fatal."

11 years ago, Huges' sister was able to receive a transplant and has been doing fine ever since, but now Huges' nephew also has the disease. With participants of the tournament coming from all parts of the country, there is no lack of support for the foundation.

"It's just very humbling, cause I know that [St. Johnsbury isn't] right around the corner," Huges said. "To have people make the effort that they do to come out here and support this is pretty special."

"The backbone of how we really survive," Flander said, "is on the strengths, the shoulders and the clubs and the putts and everything else, and the people who donate their time, energy and effort, and support events like this."

Huges and other tournament organizers were hoping to raise over $20,000.