MASSENA -- On Monday, Feb. 2. the Massena Lady Raiders basketball teams will toss aside their traditional red-and-white jerseys for the night in favor of a new purple and white décor.

The girls will be hosting an educational awareness night and raising funds to help battle cystic fibrosis.

They will be playing against the Brushton-Moira Panthers with the JV tip-off at 5:30 p.m. and the varsity contest to follow.

The team will sell t-shirts, bracelets, pinups and raffles in order to raise funds to help find a cure for this life threatening disease. They also will have displays and handouts available to help raise awareness of cystic fibrosis. They team is supporting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation as one of their fellow teammates is battling the disease.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a life-threatening genetic disease that primarily affects the lungs and digestive system. An estimated 30,000 children and adults in the United States (70,000 worldwide) have CF, according to a news release from Lady Raiders JV Coach Lisa McKeel. In people with CF, a defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus that clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections. It also obstructs the pancreas and stops natural enzymes from helping the body break down food and absorb vital nutrients. In the 1950s, few children with CF lived to attend elementary school. Since then, progress in understanding and treating the disease has led to improvements in the length and quality of life for the afflicted. Many people with the disease can now expect to live into their 30s, 40s and beyond.