PHILADELPHIA, PA (September 12, 2013)—On Friday, September 27, 2013, members and friends of the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 14 will come together for the union’s 19th Annual Mesothelioma Golf Outing at the Philmont Country Club (301 Tomlinson Road in Huntingdon Valley, PA). All proceeds from the event will benefit mesothelioma research at Fox Chase Cancer Center.
The golf outing was established by Local 14 leadership and members, along with support from the family of longtime member Hank Vaughn, who died from mesothelioma—a rare and aggressive cancer of the cells lining the chest and abdominal cavities —in 1991. Since then, Local 14 has raised approximately $2.3 million, through the annual golf outing and other fundraising efforts, for mesothelioma research at the Fox Chase.
Asbestos workers and their families are at high risk for certain lung diseases due to their exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma is one of the most deadly occupational diseases and is directly related to the inhalation of loose asbestos fibers.
The funds raised by Local 14 support the work of researchers like Joseph R Testa, PhD, Carol & Kenneth E. Weg Chair in Human Genetics and Chair of the Mesothelioma Working Group at Fox Chase. Dr. Testa’s research looks at the role of hereditary and somatic mutations in malignant mesothelioma.
The cost of the golf outing is $225 per golfer, with all proceeds benefitting Fox Chase. For more information or to register, contact Bev Maccari at 215-289-4303 or [email protected].