Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation

TL;DR: This baseball season, I’m raising money for the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation and honoring my late grandmother by attending 50 games – ideally, 1 for each donor. Please read more about this journey below! And of course, please consider donating. 

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This year, I’m attempting something wild: attending 50 baseball games, across all levels from high school to the Majors. In doing so, I’d like to ask for your help — not to fund my addiction (I’ve got that covered!) — but to make it more worthwhile.

On August 21, 2009, 3 hours into a muggy night at a 1/2-full Kauffman Stadium, Brayan Peña of the Kansas City Royals hit a 2 out, 2 strike, pinch-hit game-tying homer in the bottom of the 9th of a completely meaningless game against the Minnesota Twins (you can watch the clip here – just be sure to open in a new tab!). Based on the reaction of my grandmother, Suzanne Brown, you'd have thought they’d won the World Series. She let out a "whoop!", leaped up and down and hugged me as tears ran down her face. Throughout her life, she was known for, and loved for, her happy tears, which she shed liberally whenever she got the chance. Meaningless baseball was no exception. She had a pure enthusiasm for her life and her family, and it culminated in her devotion to the Royals (who, by the way, ended up losing in the 10th, but who cares?). I know for sure that I wouldn't have my passion for this sport without her.

She passed away in January 2013  at the age of 81 from pulmonary fibrosis, which, if you’re not familiar, is extremely  painful, hard to endure and ultimately fatal. Somehow, she always seemed to have a good attitude when I saw her, even after she lost the ability to taste food or get out of bed. She was always happiest when she was surrounded by family, so I almost think she couldn't help that, but she was one of a kind. So, 10 years after “Brayan Peña’s Shot Heard Round The Parking Lot For 20 Minutes," this odyssey through baseball is dedicated to her, and research for a cure for PF.

SO: if 50 people donate any sum of money at all – no number is too small – to this GoFundMe, I will follow through on my goal of making it to 50 games by the end of the season. To up the ante here, if more than 50 people donate, I’ll match that number with the number of games I attend. 100% of (tax-deductible) proceeds will go to the PF Foundation. And please feel free to remain anonymous if you'd like when you donate. The goal here is to amass a large volume of donations, not to hold a contest to see who can donate most. 

The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation mobilizes people and resources to provide access to high quality care and leads research for a cure so people with PF will live longer, healthier lives. It is a truly awful disease that takes the lives of thousands each year. There is currently no cure. While there are some known causes, the most common diagnosis was Mammaw's – idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, meaning of unknown cause.

If you're able to, please pitch in (so to speak) for a good cause. Let's get that donor number so high that cramming the requisite amount of games into this year becomes borderline impossible for me – I would love to have to stretch this into 2020 and beyond. I know I won't get tired of baseball; Mammaw wouldn't allow it.

Follow my journey (schedule weather/life permitting) here! Open it in a new tab to stay on this page.