Coming out of the pandemic, things began to come back as we returned to a sense of normalcy or the new normal if you will. From a sports standpoint, there was a return to games followed by the return of fans and now we are back to where we were before the world changed in March of 2020.
From an Islanders standpoint, a lot has happened since the pandemic came and went including back-to-back trips to the NHL’s final four and the opening of UBS Arena. But there was one Islanders-related event that took a little longer to resuscitate and now it’s finally coming back.
Islanders Captain Anders Lee has been involved with The Jam Kancer In The Kan Foundation since 2016 and held his own Kan Jam event to raise money for pediatric cancer through 2018. That event will return on Saturday September 16th from 1230pm to 4pm at the Islanders’ practice facility Northwell Health Ice Center on Long Island.
“It’s been really exciting to get back working on this,” said Lee whose efforts have raised more than $500,000 for the foundation.
“It’s been an honor to be a part of it. It’s a really nice thing and we get to raise money for a really good cause. We’ve been itching to get back and trying to find a good spot. It’s really nice to be back doing it.”
The foundation was born in 2014 and has raised by than $2 million to benefit charities and organizations that provide support to families affected by cancer.
“Anders Jam IV” will be a tournament-style Kan Jam event with 32 two-person teams competing with Lee and many of his Islanders teammates right before the start of training camp. Each registered participant will receive an “Anders Jam IV” gift bag, a commemorative shirt and the chance to earn additional prizes including game tickets and signed memorabilia.
“It’s really good to be back,” said foundation founder Jamey Crimmins. “It’s good to be back with the guy who kind of brought us out of a backyard in New Jersey to arenas across the country.”
An inspiration for the cause was Fenov Pierre Louis, a young man whose story embodies the foundation’s mission as they continue to spread his message. Fenov went through multiple battles with cancer and passed away on July 18th, 2018 at the age of 17. He was diagnosed with stage 4 Neuroblastoma at the age of 8 and fought the disease for 9 years.
Fenov’s spirit lives on and now the foundation is ready to honor him by getting back to business-as-usual including Lee’s Kancer Jam event.
“We haven’t been able to gather and do the events on the scale that we were doing them before the pandemic hit,” said Crimmins. “It doesn’t mean that Anders hasn’t spent a lot of time and money out of his own pockets supporting people who needed it. We’re going to raise a good bit of money and the reality is that it’s needed because cancer really didn’t take a break.”
Kan Jam is a fun game involving frisbees and there is teamwork involved. One partner throws the frisbee towards the can and the other partner has to redirect it toward or into the goal. The object is to score 21 points or have the frisbee go into the “instant win” slot.
So, how is the Captain’s Kan Jam game these days?
“It's not getting better,” said Lee, a finalist for the 2023 King Clancy Trophy given to the NHL player who best exemplifies leader qualities on and off the ice.
“You would think it would but similar to my golf game, it’s stayed the same for a long time. It’s been a few years so I’m looking forward to getting the guys back out there and see who’s the ringer. Towards the end of these events, it gets pretty competitive so we’ll see how that goes here.”
The event will take place on the recently updated dek hockey rink at Northwell Health Ice Center which now plays host to the “Islanders Street League” a co-ed hockey program for children.
For Lee, it was the perfect venue to bring back his Kancer Jam.
“It's sweet,” said Lee. “They were finishing that up recently here. I always thought that would be a fun spot to do it. That’s where we practice. We’re there every day. It’s our home away from UBS and I think it makes a lot of sense. To have an event there and to also have the local kids be able to play on there on other days is pretty cool.”
For more information on Anders Lee’s Kan Jam event and the foundation’s efforts, please visit www.jamkancerinthekan.com.