‘Battle of the Badges’ raises funds for CF research – Seacoastonline.com

Alex LaCasse @Nomad_Reports

KITTERY, Maine March Madness took on a whole a different meaning when the Kittery Police Department and Fire Department clashed on the hardwood of Traip Academy on Thursday night in the Battle of the Badges, to benefit cystic fibrosis research.

Traip senior Trevor Salema has battled cystic fibrosis since he was five months old. He said he takes 25,000 pills a year. The contest of municipal public safety personnel was a charity game to raise money for Team Trevor, a nonprofit to raise money and awareness for cystic fibrosis, or CF, and was started by Salemas parents; Christie and Durval and their friends in the community.

Over 100 people were in attendance for the charity basketball game, paying $10 apiece for a seat and witnessed the Kittery Fire Department cruise to a 49-29 victory over the Police Department behind the sharp shooting of Lucas and Jeremy Edwards with their brother, Tyler Edwards controlling the paint.

The Fire Department was coached by Chief David OBrien, and Traip senior Sierra OBrien, of the Rangers varsity girls basketball team coached the police.

We have a few ball players in the department and they played pretty well out there tonight, said OBrien. We got some young kids in the Fire Department and they work hard and they had fun.

Kittery police officer Brian Cummer and Lucas Edwards organized the event.

I used to coach Trevor, when I came back from college, Id help out with the baseball team, said Lucas Edwards, who works for Eastern Propane, who was one of the games sponsors. Anything the Fire Department can do to help the community; were there so this game was a no-brainer.

Despite the loss Cummer said the event was a resounding success.

This is a great cause, Trevor is a Kittery kid whos doing great in high school and obviously goes through a lot, said Cummer. I called up Lucas, we got the shirts made and thats when we realized, we can do this, lets fill the gym. We just wanted to help Team Trevor.

CF is a genetic disorder, which causes lung damage and nutritional deficiencies in approximately 30,000 kids and young adults nationwide and there is no cure, according to Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. In 1989 the gene that causes CF was discovered and it has led to better gene therapy treatments and now patients can live into their thirties and beyond, where previously they only lived into their teens, according to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

However, Salemas mutation is so rare; he does not qualify for clinical trials, according to his mother Christie. According to Team Trevors website, TeamTrevor.org, there are more than 1,000 CF mutations affecting five or less people. The proceeds from the ticket sales, concessions and raffle items will go towards raising CF awareness and research for rare mutations so they can be better studied.

Everyone has heard about personalized medicine. Recently, theres been a lot of cystic fibrosis research that is targeted to people with common mutations, said Christie Salema. We are trying to do some self-directed research for Team Trevor to learn more about rare mutations and all of the money from this event will go towards this specific research.

Trevor, who plays baseball and soccer at Traip, was in attendance and was grateful for the outpouring from the community.

This means a lot to me, its amazing that a town this small can do this much just for one person, said Trevor. Research has come so far in the 18 years Ive been alive, it was very far along when I was born but now its just ridiculous with some of the medication theyve come out with that are drastically changing some of these mutations.

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'Battle of the Badges' raises funds for CF research - Seacoastonline.com