The “Throw the Distance Triples” tournament at Doc Cramer Disc Golf Course on Saturday, April 30 raised over $12,000 for David’s Dream and Believe Cancer Foundation, in memory of Cedar Run resident Cecily Lovas, 22, who passed away on April 13 from brain cancer.

Her father, first-time Tournament Director Paul Lovas, designed, set up and ran the single-round, 21-hole, XC-tier triples event.

Lovas (pronounced LO-vis) is a special education science teacher at Southern Regional High School. He was introduced to the sport of disc golf around 2014 by his colleague and fellow volleyball coach Ryan Frederickson, who was one of the original builders of the Doc Cramer course in Manahawkin. Originally it had nine holes, later expanded to 18, and for Saturday it was modified to 21, plus added obstacles and challenges.

Nick Trainor putts.

Disc golf “becomes a very addicting sport,” Lovas said.

Cecily was a sophomore at Montclair State University when she was diagnosed with the rare pediatric cancer medulloblastoma at the end of 2018. During her treatment, she formed a friendship with David Calderella of David’s Dream and Believe Cancer Foundation and served as a patient advocate. Last summer she proposed the disc golf tournament as a fundraiser. As it got closer, Cecily insisted the tournament should continue as planned, even if she couldn’t physically be there.

“It was all Cecily’s idea,” Paul said. “(Her mother) Barbette and (brother) CJ and I are just happy we could follow through with it.”

Having never run a tournament before, Paul Lovas sought guidance from friend Bill Ganley of Bria Disc Golf,…