The golfing event Ergodyne has hosted every year for the past two decades to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is drawing to an end.

Over the past two decades, the 65 Roses Golf Classic: A Tenacious Tournament™ has drawn leading reps, distributors, manufacturers, and end-users of safety equipment to Minnesota’s most acclaimed golf courses. Nearly 90 cents of every dollar raised at these events went to the research aimed at finding a cure for cystic fibrosis.

President & CEO Thomas Votel recently announced that the upcoming 65 Roses – to be held on July 17, 2017 -- will be the last one.

Votel wrote in a letter:

“Much has been accomplished. Much to be proud of. But you know, as they say – all good things must come to an end. Everyone has their own cause, schedules are busy, and we’ve asked a lot of you over the years to support us. And so, we’ve decided as a family and a company that this is our last year for 65 Roses: A Tenacious Tournament.

"To say we are grateful is an understatement. We are humbled by your incredible and long term generosity. Many of you have contributed time and time again with absolutely no tie to Cystic Fibrosis other than knowing me and my family. Your support, dedication and love means more than we can express. We are humbled and grateful beyond measure.

"When Chelsea was diagnosed with CF almost 30 years ago, we were wracked with uncertainty and fear as any parent would be; the prognosis for a CF patient in 1988 was not good. So, what to do? It just seemed the right thing was to take matters into our own hands (the only way we knew how) and join with our friends and family to raise money and cure this thing! An orphan disease (a patient population too small for any pharma to make money off) with very little funding, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation needed crazy parents like us and crazy generous supporters like you to achieve big things!

"And achieve we did. Chelsea’s doctor, when she was younger, told us many times that his goal was for CF to become a condition patients live with and no longer a life limiting disease. We believe that day – truly, miraculously – is upon us. In fact, just in the past 8 weeks, there was an announcement of a drug that will now treat over 90% of the CF population. A cure? Not quite. But a drug that will allow CF patients to live with a treatable condition. This is incredible, monumental and rare. And it all happened because of YOU!

"To celebrate 20 years of goodness and this last year of the tournament, we humbly ask you to join us again for one last round and perhaps double (or hey, triple?!) or maybe at least “top up” your contribution. In the two decades we’ve been at this, we have raised just over $3 million dollars (about $200k+ annually), and it would be so fantastic to make this last year our biggest year yet so we can go out on a high note. (…this may be taking a while to sink in – but we will no longer be pestering you every freakin’ year! So maybe… go nuts this time around?!)

"This chapter of our journey may be ending but our passion and our dream is not. We will continue to support the CFF and many other worthy causes and we may still from time to time ask you to join us in those endeavors. Because we are firm believers in Winston Churchill’s famous words that 'we make a living by what we make; we make a life by what we give.'"

Click here for more information about the 65 Roses Golf Classic: A Tenacious Tournament™.