SEATTLE -- When Mariners closer Steve Cishek was in fourth grade, his friend Kevin Williamson developed a bad cough. Williamson started missing hockey games, despite his love for the sport.
"We didn't understand why," Cishek said. "We just knew he was sick."
Williamson passed away the next year due to cystic fibrosis, a progressive genetic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system.
On Monday, Cishek got the chance to support cystic fibrosis research aimed at developing new therapies and finding a cure for the life-threatening disease. He co-hosted the 31st annual Mariners Care Cystic Fibrosis Golf Tournament alongside three-time host Charlie Furbush.