Some time ago, I received an email from referee Jon Watson, telling me he had recommended me to OMFLL President Ann Rudge as someone who could put a website together for the league, and, that the league was willing to pay me.
A couple of weeks later, Ann phoned me to set up an appointment for the following Saturday to come to Kitchener and talk about this website. We set a time and I asked Ann if, instead of paying me, the league could make a donation to the Canadian Breast Cancer Research Initiative in memory of my wife, Brenda, who had died April 2, 2002 from breast cancer. Ann said that should be okay.
When you lose someone to cancer, through the worst of it, you feel useless. You can't put a bandaid on it or kiss it better. All you can do is watch and try to keep the mood positive. Here was an opportunity for me to contribute a little something to help prevent others from going through what we went through.
Ann, accompanied by Kitchener rep Chris Juniper, arrived at the appointed time and I showed them some different formats I have used on my Can-Am - OLA Senior website. We picked one, added a couple things and we were ready to start.
Ann then said, "now we've seen what you'll do, here's what we will do. We will make a $1,000.00 per year donation to the Canadian Breast Cancer Research Initiative in Brenda's memory, AND, we want you to dedicate the website to her."
This absolutely floored me!! The amount of the donation was AWESOME!! The dedication? Well, I don't usually show my emotions much, but that turned on the waterworks!! Ann gave me a big, sympathetic hug. We chatted for a few minutes and the ladies left. I started the site right then.
My 10 and 11 year old granddaughters were here for the weekend, and thought it was fantastic that their 'Gammy' would be memorialized on the internet. All our family and friends thought the same. I told a friend I chat with in the Netherlands, who has been fighting breast cancer herself, about it. She called me a hero, but I'm not. I am just a man, who, with the help of his 'lacrosse family', will make a difference.
Thank you Ann Rudge, The OMFLL Council, all the reps, team staffs and players who have made all this happen, and made it a pleasure to 'do' this website.
Lacrosse people are the greatest!!
