TARZANA : Tourney Aids Asthma Fund and Awareness

A golf tournament at the Braemar Country Club in Tarzana, which drew more than 100 people Monday morning, raised more than money for a fund to benefit asthma research.

Christina Challey, a Glendale resident whose mother died of asthma in 1988, said the first fund-raiser for the Dorothy Fund also served to raise awareness about a disorder that can be deadly if not monitored carefully.

“Our main goal, of course, is to find a cure for asthma,” said Challey, a country-pop singer. “Part of what we’re doing is education. We want to make people aware of the seriousness of the disease.”

Challey created the fund two months ago after learning of the work of Dr. Andrew Saxon of the UCLA School of Medicine, who is conducting genetic research to find a cure for asthma. She named the fund after her 63-year-old mother, who was a Victorville resident.

A handful of celebrities took part in the event, including Lee Meriwether and Bobby Sherman. A reception and awards presentation for certain feats, such as the straightest drive, took place at the club in the afternoon.

Challey said she did not know how much the golf tournament raised for asthma research, though she was hoping to raise several thousand dollars. “We’re still in the process of trying to figure that out,” she said Monday afternoon.