Oregon City vs West Linn Battle for the Bridge

July 18, 2012, 6:46 am

Last year marked the inaugural Oregon City-West Linn Battle for the Bridge.  The Battle is a charity football game in which alumnus from each high school square off against their rivals to raise money and raise awareness for cystic fibrosis (CF).  Dave Cote, a CF survivor and participant in last year’s event joined Chad Tuesday on The Morning Sports Page to talk about the upcoming event and its goal.

Cystic fibrosis is one of the most common chronic lung diseases in the United States, with roughly 1000 new cases being diagnosed each year.  CF affects its sufferers in two ways.  First, it prevents the body from creating the proper enzymes to process foods properly – resulting in poor digestion, malnourishment.  Second, CF creates a thick, mucous membrane within the walls of the lungs that cause respiratory problems. 

Cote said that last year’s event raised close to $20,000 for CF and nearly 2,500 people came out to support the cause.  He expects somewhere between 3,000 and 4,000 participants to come out this year and he hopes the battle will bring in close to double what last year’s event brought in. 

As a survivor of the disease, Cote insists that although his life has definitely been altered, it is not the end all, be all and you can overcome the trials and tribulations.  Take a listen as Cote discusses last year’s event and be sure to attend the Battle for the Bridge event Saturday August 11 at Oregon City High School. 

For more information, go to battleforthebridge.com or check them out at facebook/battleForTheBridge.