Mark your calendars for the 2020 MOFF Golf Tournament. October 3, 2020 is the day! The tournament will take place on at the same location as last year: Cypress Ridge Golf Course in Arroyo Grande, CA. Registration will open soon. Start getting your teams together because spots may be limited!
Category Archives: ALS Fundraising Events
22
Feb
Feb
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 6th Annual MOFF Hike x Brunch! Together we raised $6,716.80 to put towards ALS patient care and research.
The hike up Felsman Loop Trail was a wonderful reminder of Martha’s ability to motivate and educate each of us on the importance of exercise and healthy living. The sign at the bottom of the trail reminded us who we were hiking for: all those who cannot. The sign has the names of those our community has lost to ALS and also those that are currently living with the disease.
When we reached Martha’s memorial bench, Andrea and Natalie read a passage from Ryan Farnsworth’s book: Seeds of Light Sown. The poem is called: Old Wisdom Gained Young:
“I have never heard the elderly lament,
In wishing that they would have lived less,
Having packed too much life into their years.
I imagine instead that as their tired suns sink,
Back towards the horizon of their lives,
Each moment becomes more precious.
If asked for advice such an old one might say:
Don’t put your dreams on a shelf labeled ‘someday,’
A day in the future when there will be more time,
For time waits for no one.
Live the life you want and do not wait or hesitate,
While you are healthy and have the physical function,
To spend your time in all of the ways you prefer.
And I think to myself:
We should not need to grow old,
To gain such wisdom.”
The brunch portion of the event was educational and inspired hope. Jennifer McErlain from the ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI) showed a video that walked us through a virtual tour of the ALSTDI lab. She discussed how MOFF donors have contributed over $95,000.00 to different ALS research projects at ALS TDI over the past 5 years. She also mentioned Project Euphonia which is ALSTDI’s collaboration with Google that was recently featured on the Today Show. At the end of Jen’s talk, MOFF presented Jen with a $10,000.00 check to put towards their upcoming research on profilin1 ALS mouse models.
Thank you ALSTDI for all the incredible research you conduct and thank you to our supportive donors for allowing MOFF to fund research to find a cure for ALS.
If you have any photos that you would like to share from the event, please email them to giving@moffoundation.com. Thank you!
03
Dec
Dec
Giving Tuesday was on December 3, 2019. The MOFF Giving Tuesday campaign emphasized the urgency that the ALS disease state needs funding. Below are a few examples of how your donation can impact the ALS community.
- ALS is an expensive disease and can cost up to $200,000.00 a year for a single ALS household.
- There are currently over 170 individuals living with ALS on the Central Coast of CA.
- It can cost up to $2 billion to develop a drug. This number gets inflated when it comes to ALS treatments because it is going to take gene therapy or a combination of several drugs to address the complexity of the disease.
The Martha Olson-Fernandez Foundation has funded ALS drug development efforts since 2014. Your support during Giving Tuesday is what allows us to provide financial support to families living in our area.
Thank You!
05
Oct
Oct
The weather was gorgeous out at Cypress Ridge Golf Course on October 5, 2019. Teams traveled from California and Arizona to support ALS patient care and research. Together we raised $114,680.00!! The VIP guests at the tournament were: Fred Fisher (President and CEO of The ALSA Golden West Chapter), Cherryl Goldstein (VP of Development for the ALSA Golden West Chapter), and Dr. Justin Ichida (USC Professor of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine).
Results:
1st Place: Manny Silva, Brian Ball, Jon Pollock, Paul D’Ambra; Score: 55
2nd Place: Jim Orradre, Stephen Orradre, Duke Green, Bob Riddle; Score: 56
3rd Place: Nigel Whitehead, Josh Compton, Bill Compton, Will Sinclair; Score: 57
Hackers: Jerry Casey, Jennifer Taylor, Kyle Hooks, Kevin Voorhees; Score: 80
Closest to the pin (women): Karen Crawfis – 18ft
Closest to the pin (men): John Ronca – 9ft
Longest drive (women): Terri Garcia
Longest drive (men): Cliff Contreras
Awards Ceremony Speakers
We were honored to have Fred Fisher (left) discuss the impact of the MOFF Fund on patient care services on the Central Coast of CA.
Dr. Justin Ichida (right) discussed the ALS stem cell work his lab at the USC Keck School of Medicine has been conducting. The Ichida lab was the recipient of the ALS Research Grant Sponsorship ($10,000.00). The ALS Research Grant Donor was the Larry Fernandez Family. Read more about this transaction here.
Thank You Volunteers! Your positive energy and helpfulness made this event possible. 
Click here to view the MOFF Golf Tournament top sponsors!
ALS Fundraising Events, Hike x Brunch
5th Annual MOFF Hike x Brunch and 1st Annual ALS Panel Discussion
22
Jan
Jan
Thank you to all of the 5th Annual MOFF Hike x Brunch participants!
Thank you to everyone who came out to hike Felsman Loop in San Luis Obispo on Saturday, February 23rd. We all placed roses on Martha’s memorial bench and enjoyed a gorgeous view in great company. At the top of the hike, we read a poem that depicted ALS patients’ incredibly difficult journey with the disease. The poem was followed by quotes that embody the resilience of ALS patients. Martha was a beautiful example of that strength and bravery in action.
The ALS panel discussion during the brunch portion of the event was very well received. The panel answered the following questions:
What causes ALS?
Is there a high incidence of ALS on the Central Coast?
What happened to the $115M raised during the Ice Bucket Challenge?
What treatments are currently available to patients?
Where are your MOFF donations going in 2019?
Research Highlights: ASOs & STMN2 target for sporadic ALS
Our panelists were Natalie Fernandez from MOFF, Cherryl Goldstein, Stacy Inman and Janelle Webb from the ALS Association. Thank you very much to the ALS Association Golden West Chapter for participating in our first annual ALS Panel Discussion! We had a great time taking questions from donors regarding if ALS is one disease and also what future CRISPR technology has in the ALS research world. In order to align with the interdisciplinary approach to fighting ALS, we look forward to inviting an array of panelists to future hike x brunch events.
If you have any follow-up questions, please email the MOF Foundation at giving@moffoundation.com.
Would you like to make a donation to the MOFF Organization?
Click on the donate button below. No amount is too small or too big! Please note that a 2.3% PayPal processing fee will be added to all credit card transactions.
Join the fight with us!
Please make checks available to The Martha Olson-Fernandez Foundation or MOFF and mail to the Broad Street address below.
The Martha Olson-Fernandez Foundation is a tax-exempt, 501 (c)(3) organization. Tax ID: 45-4983912
06
Oct
Oct
The 6th Annual Martha Olson-Fernandez Foundation raised an impressive $121,000!!!
Cypress Ridge Golf Course claims it was their highest earning golf tournament yet! Thank you to all our sponsors, golfers, and volunteers that made this fundraising amount possible. Not only did we have a record amount of sponsors, but the tournament was completely full! The community support was truly incredible.
The winners of the tournament were:
1st Place: Anthony Aurignac, Nico Aurignac, Thomas Orradre, Mitchell Martin
2nd Place: Manny Silva, Paul D’Ambra, Brandon Hill, Oliver Petri
3rd Place: Joe Garcia, Terry Garcia, Mike Monroe, Eddie Garcia
Hacker’s Prize Winners: Bridget and Paul Ready, Jim and Margaret Neville
Closest to the pin (women): Tess Boehm
Closest to the pin (men): Ricky Sartain
Longest drive (women): Terri Garcia
Longest drive (men): Mark Foos
Fiesta Dinner Winner: Ed Attala! We cannot wait to celebrate with you, Ed! 🙂
Congratulations everyone!
A special thanks goes out to our top sponsors:
Dave and Roberta (Rob) Fernandez, The Chao Family, Murray Street LLC
Shout out to our first ever Heckle Hole Hecklers! You guys were obnoxious and distracting. It was glorious.
31
Jan
Jan
MOFF takes on the Hot Pepper Challenge
In 2018 the ALS Hot Pepper Challenge went viral. At MOFF we were very excited to participate in the Hot Pepper Challenge during our 4th Annual Hike x Brunch event. We ate jalapeños, seranos, and even habañeros in order to raise ALS awareness in our community. Thank you very much to the Voloagri Group Inc. for providing the peppers. They were HOT.
The Martha Olson-Fernandez Foundation donates to ALS Therapy Development Institute and The ALS Association Golden West Chapter annually. We are a 501 (c)(3) certified non profit foundation. Tax ID # 45-4983912