Bill Van Rootselaar, Katie Forster, Clarence Arnoldussen and Conrad Van Hierden ready to tee off at the first tee for the A-T Children’s Project golf tournament.
Golfers teed off Friday at Fort Macleod Golf Club in support of a cure for a rare genetic disease.
The annual tournament is a fund-raiser for the A-T Children’s Project, which raises money for research into ataxia-telangiectasia.
“We’re encouraged more than ever with the research progress,” tournament organizer Conrad Van Hierden said. “We were at a research conference board meeting two weeks ago in Boston. They’re seeing some progress in cancer and in A-T gene therapy.”
A-T is a genetic disease that causes loss of muscle control and balance, as well as cancer, lung disease and immune system problems in children and young adults, shortening their lives.
The non-profit A-T Children’s Project partners with academic and industry investigators world-wide to organize and support innovative research, conferences, clinical teams, data platforms and biomarker development.
“We’re hoping that we find a cure . . . and that we don’t have to keep doing this, but we might keep doing it to celebrate,” Van Hierden said.
Van Hierden expressed gratitude for the support of the golfers as well as the many tournament sponsors.
“We’re very, very thankful,” Van Hierden said.
