January 16, 2004 — I was in attendance when Jim Veltman and Les Bartley raised the 2003 Championship banner. Jim’s “Captain, my Captain” speech resonated in me. It was at that moment, during that game, that I decided we as a fan community needed to rally around Les and do something. Les’s Fund was born.
On January 17, I went on www.wingszone.com and sought the Bartleys’ approval to use Les’s name to raise money to fight cancer.
On January 18 Gloria responded, giving permission and the entire family’s blessing to go ahead with fundraising. Shortly after, I received a telephone call from Les, who from that time took me under his wing, guiding me both with Les’s Fund and in life. Gloria and Les were always there if his health allowed him to be.
That same day, I received an email about my co-worker Doug’s daughters fighting cancer with bracelets being made in memory of their deceased mother, Lisa McBride. I contacted Doug and asked whether he and his girls would like to join forces. The McBrides gave a resounding yes.
Les’s Fund with Lisa’s Beads was born. At our first Rock game we were stunned with the response, raising $3000 for the Canadian Cancer Society. We needed help making bracelets, so we actively recruited students from Toronto and fans from across the NLL to make bracelets. The response was overwhelming: kids lined up during recess and lunch times to make bracelets for the games.
For the next three years, Les’s Fund with Lisa’s Beads (www.lisasbeads.ca) raised over $60,000 for cancer charities in Toronto, Philadelphia, Rochester, and Buffalo. Without the amazing McBrides and the volunteer bracelet makers, the success of Les’s Fund would not have been possible.
A majority of the $60,000 was raised at Toronto Rock games at Lisa’s Beads–Les’s Fund tables. The Rock let us set up fundraising tables to distribute the bracelets for donations anytime we wanted. The Rock organization continues to be our largest supporter.
October 2004 — Les coached his last game as head coach of Team Canada in the Heritage Cup, which Team Canada won. After the game Gary Gait, who had played his last Heritage Cup game, gave Les his last boxla jersey. Les’s Fund auctioned that jersey off, receiving the highest bid ever recorded at NLL Auctions: $1700!
In early May 2005, Les called my wife, Natalia, and me to his bedside. Les, looking emaciated, smiled as I walked into the room, and asked, “Where’s my hug?” During that visit he thanked us for all the work we’d done and the support we had given to him and his family. I knew Les was saying goodbye. Les told me his vision for Les’s Fund. It was simple: to raise cancer awareness in the lacrosse community, encouraging everyone to lead a healthy lifestyle and help cancer charities, big and small, in any way we could.
(Here I was, listening to the man who had given me so much in just a year and a half thanking me for my help. Les in a very short time had become my mentor and had shown me what true strength, resilience, and bravery were. He changed my life, and I’m a better man for it. It was because of Les that I’ve been able to stand on the shoulders of giants to fight for a cause in which I and many lacrosse fans believe.)
Two weeks later, on May 14, 2005, the Rock won the 2005 NLL Championship, and Les saw the game and the boys accepting the President’s Cup. Hours later, Les passed away in his home with his family by his side.
2005 also saw the launch of sportcares.ca, our website.
June 2005 — I carried the cancer-fighting movement to my other love, the CFL. Like Les’s Fund, CFL Fans Fight Cancer raises money at football games and football-related events and gives it all to cancer charities in the cities where the money is raised. Interested people can visit their website, www.cflfansfightcancer.com
Later that year, the National Lacrosse League recognized Les’s Fund as its Official Cancer Fighter.
In 2006 Les’s Fund was renamed Les’s Fund–Lacrosse Fans Fighting Cancer to generate more interest across the NLL. During the NLL All-Star Game held in Toronto that season, Les’s Fund held our first jersey auction. Every team donated a signed jersey and other merchandise.
2007 — Les’s Fund–Lacrosse Fans Fighting Cancer started Pledge a Player. Fans make pledges for their local cancer charity based on their favourite NLL player’s or team’s performance. They then donate that money straight to their local cancer charity.
During the Rock’s 2007 Charity Game, the team donated $12,500 to the Les’s Fund–Lacrosse Fans Fighting Cancer Toronto family of charities: Wellspring Cancer Support Centre, Princess Margaret Hospital (for colon cancer research in memory of Les), and the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.
2008 — We’re keeping the fight going. Pledge a Player is now league-wide and helping cancer charities across the NLL. To make a pledge, fans can go to sportcares.ca and hit the Pledge a Player link at the top of the page. Or they can visit torontorock.com, click on the Community link and then the Charity link.
For a second straight year the Rock organization is generously donating a portion of the proceeds from their charity game on April 5 to the Les’s Fund Toronto charities. During that game there will be not only game-worn Rock third jerseys up for auction but also two very special goalie masks: For the March 14th game, Toronto Rock goalie Bob Watson and New York Titans goalie Matt Vinc will be wearing custom-painted goalie masks dedicated to Les Bartley; these custom-painted one-of-a-kind masks will be up for auction during the April 5th charity game. An NLL collector’s dream!
Lastly, throughout this incredible journey, the fans of the NLL have been incredible in their support and volunteer efforts. The Commissioner of the National Lacrosse League, and the entire NLL staff and all the teams of the National Lacrosse League have been consitantly supportive of Les’s Fund. With the most helpful team being the Toronto Rock. The ownership of the Rock and it’s staff are loyal to Les’s Fund and our efforts in helping our community through fighting cancer. Most important are the players and coaches who put their well being on line every season. These guys step up anytime they are asked and approach Les’s Fund on their own to help. To all everyone, thank you! Without your help and belief in our efforts we would not exist.
Together we will continue fight cancer the lacrosse way. Through raising cancer awareness, promote a healthy lifestyle and raise a little money for those organizations that will eventually put an end to this disease.
Les’s Fund–Lacrosse Fans Fighting Cancer is recognized as the National Lacrosse League’s official cancer fighter by all NLL teams and its players. Les’s Fund is a fan-organized, grassroots, non-profit movement created to promote cancer awareness and aid in the fight against cancer across and beyond the lacrosse community.
Les’s Fund is named in memory and in honour of Les Bartley, the Toronto Rock’s Hall of Fame and five-time Champion Lacrosse coach and general manager. Les lent his name and support to fans’ efforts to raise money to fight cancer while fighting the disease himself. Les left us on May 15, 2005; since that time the fans of the NLL and its teams have carried the torch in the fight against cancer with pride and remembrance.