GUELPH, ON – Andrew D'Agostini is two years removed from his days as the star goalie of the Guelph Gryphons men's hockey team. Yet his connection to the University of Guelph remains stronger than ever.
 
The now 25-year-old Scarborough native, who helped the Gryphons secure an OUA championship in 2014-15, has left a lasting impact off the ice through his ongoing charitable work with Cystic Fibrosis research. D'Agostini, in partnership with the generous support of local establishment Frank & Steins Pub, brought the "Saves for CF" program which he initially launched in Peterborough during his OHL career, to the Gryphons during his rookie season at U of G. Now, for a fourth consecutive year, that program has continued flourish in Guelph, with Frank & Steins Pub once again stepping up to donate $1,000 for Cystic Fibrosis research being conducted right on-campus at the University of Guelph within the university's Department of Pathobiology.
 
To date, the "Saves for CF" program, which began during the 2014-15 season, has raised a total of $4,000, with Frank & Steins Pub donating $1 for every save made by a Gryphon goalie during the season towards Cystic Fibrosis research. 

During the 2017-18 campaign, Gryphon goalies Andrew Masters and Jason Da Silva combined to make 784 saves. Frank & Steins Pub rounded up that total to donate $1,000 for the cause.
 
D'Agostini, who just recently completed his second season with the Brampton Beast (ECHL affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens), has now officially established the "Saves for CF" initiative in the three different cities (Peterborough, Guelph and Brampton) all places which he called home while playing hockey at the OHL, OUA and ECHL levels. In total, D'Agostini has helped to raise over $30,000 for Cystic Fibrosis research through the "Saves for CF" initiative.
 
"The message I try to get across to people is that, doing something like this and raising some money for a cause close to you is actually easy to do," says D'Agostini, who recently completed his undergrad in Public Management in the Fall of 2017. "Everyone knows someone who is affected by something. And even if you're not raising a ton of money, even by just letting someone know you're in their corner, that can mean a lot."
 
D'Agostini will be returning to the University of Guelph in June of 2018 to pursue his masters in leadership. "The guys at Frank & Steins have been extremely supportive over the years," adds D'Agostini. "And it's comforting to know that there are people like Dr. Wootton here at U of G who are working tirelessly behind the scenes here to find a cure for these types of diseases. The future looks bright."
 
Dr. Sarah Wootton spearheads the research being done at the University of Guelph, where the emphasis is on developing an all-encompassing lung gene therapy platform to correct various genetic diseases, including Cystic Fibrosis.

"It's hard to describe how much of an impact even a donation of $1,000 can make," says Dr. Wootton, now in her fifth year specializing in this field at the University of Guelph.

"A thousand dollars can actually make a noticeable difference in helping us advance our research. The funding climate is so difficult right now, so having the support of major donors like the Mason Family or receiving support from someone like Andrew, it all helps to move the program forward."

For Dario Direnzo, co-owner of Frank & Steins Pub, the decision to continue to support Andrew D'Agostini's fundraising efforts was an easy one, "It's a no-brainer for us. We believe that if you support the student-athletes, you not only make a positive impact in the community, but you can also make a positive influence on the student-athletes themselves. We felt like it was a great fit when Andrew approached us a few years ago about "Saves for CF" and we know this cause fits in perfectly with the University's commitment to giving back to the community."
 
Prior to suiting up for the Gryphons (in 2014-15 to 2015-16), Andrew D'Agostini enjoyed a successful five-year OHL career with the Peterborough Petes. During that time, D'Agostini was named the OHL's "Humanitarian of the Year" for, amongst other things, his efforts in helping support Cystic Fibrosis Canada. While in Peterborough, Andrew developed a friendship with the Romanelli family whose then-six-year-old son, Anthony, was diagnosed with the disease.

After having successfully spearheaded fundraising campaigns in Peterborough, D'Agostini continued to support Cystic Fibrosis when he arrived in Guelph and, this past season in Brampton, established the "Saves for CF" program with the Beast, raising an additional $3,900.

Along the way, Andrew has met countless families and individuals affected by cystic fibrosis. It has been a journey that has helped him keep things in perspective.

"In the summer time, I get up in the morning, sometimes cranky that I have to get up early to train, and then I go skate or teach at a hockey school," adds D'Agostini. "When it's over, if I feel tired, I just come home and relax.

Then you meet some of the amazing people dealing with this disease, and they have to spend their entire summers in a hospital because their lung function is down to 15% and they need a transplant. It just puts things in perspective and makes you realize you have nothing to complain about."
 
You can donate to Andrew D'Agostini's Walk to Make Cystic Fibrosis History and read more about the work being done by Dr. Sarah Wootton by visiting her website on molecular virology.