NBA Player Nik Stauskas Hosts Charity Basketball Game with special guest, Arkells' Max Kerman shooting some hoops!

TORONTO, Aug. 23, 2017 /CNW/ -

WHO: Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard and Mississauga native, Nik Stauskas, is teaming up with the Canadian Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (CPFF) to raise awareness and funds for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a rare and fatal lung disease.¹

Nik's grandmother lived with the disease for more than six years before she passed in 2016. When she was first diagnosed, Nik had never heard of the disease, but he has since made it his goal to shine a light on IPF and raise funds for research in an effort to one day Kiss IPF Goodbye™.

WHAT: Charity basketball event hosted by Nik Stauskas, with guests including Arkells' Max Kerman on the opposing team and a live performance by the Toronto Raptors Dance Pak.

WHEN: Tuesday, August 29, 2017 from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. (doors open at 4:30 p.m.)

WHERE: Coca Cola Court, Mattamy Athletic Centre (part of Ryerson University) – 50 Carlton Street, Toronto, Ontario

In-person interviews will take place between 4:30pm and 5:00 p.m. To coordinate an interview, please contact Jonathan Motha-Pollock at [email protected] or 416-586-1952.

IPF Fast Facts

• A lung disease that impacts up to 15,000 Canadians, causing 3,000 deaths per year²
• Life expectancy without a lung transplant averages 2 – 5 years³
• IPF is characterized by poor survival, even worse than many cancers; however, the disease is underestimated and diagnosis is often made in advance states⁴
• Causes permanent scarring of the lungs, resulting in difficulty breathing¹
• Decreases the amount of oxygen the lungs can supply to rest of the body¹
• Symptoms include: shortness of breath, dry hacking cough, fatigue, blue lips (cyanosis) and chest discomfort, among others^1,5

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¹ What is Pulmonary Fibrosis. Canadian Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. Accessed March 2017. Available at: cpff.ca/understanding-pf/what-is-pulmonary-fibrosis.

² Hopkins, R et al. Epidemiology and survival of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis from national data in Canada. European Respiratory Journal 2016. Accessed June 2017. Available at: http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/48/1/187.full.pdf.

³ FAQ. Canadian Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. Accessed March 2017. Available at: http://cpff.ca/understanding-pf/frequently-asked-questions.

⁴ Cancheri, Carlo. Common pathways in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and cancer. Eur Respir Rev 2013; 22: 265–272. Accessed April 2017. Available at: http://err.ersjournals.com/content/errev/22/129/265.full.pdf.

⁵ #KissIPFGoodbye. Canadian Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. Accessed April 2017. Available at: http://cpff.ca/get-involved/kissipfgoodbye-awareness-campaign. 

SOURCE Canadian Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation

Jonathan Motha-Pollock at [email protected] or 416-586-1952.