New York Islanders player's fundraising event returns to East Meadow

New York Islanders captain, and King Clancy Award winner, Anders Lee, will be bringing his beloved fundraising initiative back to Long Island next month. Lee will hold his “Jam Kancer in the Kan” fundraiser at the Northwell Health Ice Center, located off Merrick Avenue in Eisenhower Park on Sept. 14 from 12:30 to 4 p.m.

At the event, teams of two players will be paired with an Islanders player, and compete against other teams and players in a Kan Jam tournament. Kan Jam is a backyard frisbee game, in which teams attempt to score points with a disc, by aiming their throws in the direction of two goals.

The Jam Kancer in the Kan Foundation was founded in 2014 by Jamey Crimmins, who came up with the idea while training for the New York City Marathon. He was running as a member of “Fred’s Team,” a group that fundraises for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center every year. Crimmins had lost his father-in-law and a close friend to cancer. Alongside his wife and friends, he decided to organize an inaugural Jam Kancer in the Kan tournament in New Jersey. With 24 teams participating in the tournament, they raised $14,296 for families affected by a cancer diagnosis.

Lee, who has played for the Islanders since 2009, learned of the foundation in 2016, after seeing a video featuring Fenov Pierre-Louis who participated in Crimmins’ third-annual tournament in New Jersey. Pierre-Louis was a 15-year-old cancer patient, and Lee decided he wanted to help him and other young patients in his position.

Lee and Pierre-Louis formed a close friendship, and Lee hosted his first Kancer Jam fundraiser in March of 2017 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, where the Islanders were playing at the time. Two additional fundraisers were held in 2018, and last year, the fourth Kancer Jam event was held outside the ice rink in East Meadow, where the Islanders train.

The 2023 event in East Meadow raised $155,000, including a $30,000 contribution made by Lee. For his efforts, Lee was awarded the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, a sports award given annually to a National Hockey League player who exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice, and who has made a significant humanitarian contribution.

“It was successful beyond even my wildest dreams,” Crimmins said of last year’s event. “We raised $155,000, so obviously my goal is to exceed that, because the more money we raise, the more we’re able to help families.”

Because Lee won the King Clancy award, the NHL designated $25,000 to a charity of his choice — which was the Jam Kancer in the Kan Foundation. Crimmins said they expect to sell out all available team spots this September, as they did last year, but the added donation from the league will greatly help their overall amount raised.

Lee said he was inspired by several former teammates, who he had seen make a difference on Long Island throughout his time on the Islanders. “I was very inspired by them and what I saw them doing and the impact they were making,” he said. “I wanted to do something similar, but just didn’t know exactly where.”

But then, Lee said, he saw the video of Pierre-Louis speaking at Crimmins’ event.

“My friendship with Fenov — you know, you have these people that come into your lives, whether it’s a long term relationship, a short term one, or whatever it is, they kind of come in and change your perspective on things or really make an impact on you,” Lee said.

Pierre-Louis succumbed to the disease in 2018, and Lee spoke at his funeral, saying: “When I met Fenov, I became a better person, a better friend, a better son, a better husband — I had a purpose.”

Lee said Pierre-Louis drives his inspiration and his motivation to continue to give back.

There are 32 team slots available, and each team that registers will agree to donate or fundraise a minimum of $2,700. Upon the completion of registration, a team will get its own fundraising page with a unique URL that can be shared to solicit donations. Those who donate can do so through the link with a credit or debit card, or via a check, made payable to The Jam Kancer in the Kan Foundation.

Those who cannot participate can still make donations to the event, by visiting JamKancerInTheKan.com, and clicking on Lee’s page. There will also be an auction, with a wide array of items including autographed memorabilia, such as player sticks, jerseys, pucks and more. Details regarding the auction will be announced soon, and it should go live around Sept. 7, Crimmins said.