CFRI Holds 5th Annual Wine for a Cure to Support CF Research

The non-profit organization Cystic Fibrosis Research, Inc. (CFRI) is organizing a wine tasting event to help support research to find a cure for cystic fibrosis (CF), taking place on Sunday, October 19, between 3 and 7 pm at the Purple Orchid Wine Country Resort & Spa. Proceeds from tickets for the 5th Annual Wine for a Cure, which cost between $100 and $125 per person, are meant to improve life of patients.

During the event, CFRI will grant Caregiver of the Year Award to Carlos Milla, an associate professor and director of Stanford Medical Center’s Pediatric Cystic Fibrosis Center, for his work and dedication in providing CF patient health quality of care, especially for children and teens suffering from the disease.

“As a mother to a beloved adult daughter living with CF, I know first-hand the importance of raising funds for our CF research programs,” said the CFRI’s Executive Director, Sue Landgraf. “Wine for a Cure will support CFRI’s 39-year history of providing seed funding for promising new lines of basic and clinical CF research, with prospects of future funding by other sources such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The findings from recent studies validate the investment of time, effort and money to search for treatments that focus on the underlying basic defect of cystic fibrosis. CFRI is committed to raising more funds for innovative research.”

The Wine for a Cure event will offer a meal prepared by On the Vine, as well as wines created and poured by elite vintners from the region of Livermore. The music will be provided by Livermore’s Chris LeBel. At the end, the estimated 150 attendees will be able to participate in an auction, featuring exclusive luxury items. Several celebrities will participate in the event, including Bill Ring, Ronnie Lott, and Roger Craig, all of whom will be in attendance, as well as Hollywood actor and CF patient Todd Giebenhain.

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The drummer and percussionist for Culver City Dub Collective, Adam Topol, will co-star a musical performance with the singer and songwriter Tess Dunn. While Dunn suffers from CF herself, Topol’s connection to the disease is through her cousin, Anna Modlin, who is also a CF patient. The organization aims to bring together talent and the best of Livermore wine country to support the cause.

Since its founding in 1975, CFRI’s mission has been to serve as a resource for the CF community by funding research, providing education and support, and raising awareness about the debilitating disease that affects approximately 30,000 people in the United States and more than 70,000 in the world. The organization is particularly concerned about children, since until a few years ago, before newborn screening, children were diagnosed as a consequence of lung infections or extreme malnutrition, which led to late diagnosis or misdiagnosis.

The organization is responsible for several other events dedicated to raise awareness and funds to find a cure for the disease, including its CF Chef program, but also its annual national conference for families, patients, caregivers, researchers and other advocates, which this year was organized under the theme ”Changing the Faces of Cystic Fibrosis: Inspiring Hope.”