East Meadow, NY– Prior to hitting the ice next week for the start of training camp, Anders Lee welcomed his New York Islanders teammates and 150 guests at his Jam Kancer In The Kan charity event at Northwell Health Ice Center on Saturday afternoon.
“It’s just nice to get it back on again and get everyone together and hang out with some friends and family, have the boys out here and just have a really nice day,” Lee said.
The event centered around an all-day Kan Jam tournament featuring 32 teams made up of Islanders players and paying individuals whose contributions went straight towards benefiting those who have been affected by cancer. In total, the event raised $135,000, the most successful hosted by Lee thus far, according to the charity’s founder, Jamey Crimmins.
Lee first became involved with the foundation back in 2016 after hearing a speech from Fenov Pierre-Louis, a cancer patient battling a Stage 4 Neuroblastoma diagnosis. The two developed a close relationship before Pierre-Louis passed away on July 18, 2018, at the age of 17.
Since then, Lee has hosted several Jam Kancer In The Kan tournaments, earning him multiple nominations for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in the process. Because of Lee’s involvement, the charity has become popular with several players across the NHL.
“You can’t buy this kind of opportunity to rub elbows with your favorite players,” said Crimmins. “This is going to help us because now we send a video and can say, ‘Look, this is what we did.’ It’s pretty incredible, and his fan base is just incredibly supportive.”
Along with fans, many of Lee’s Islanders teammates were happy to come out and help support the cause.
“It’s great to have all the guys together, and it’s great to see what [Lee] does for the community,” said Hudson Fasching. “You know how good of a guy he is on a day-to-day basis as a teammate, but it’s also great to see what he can do for the community.”
Goalie Ilya Sorokin did exceptionally well, which is even more impressive considering it was his first time playing Kan Jam. However, Sorokin’s excellence in goal doesn’t quite transfer to backyard games, as defenseman Dennis Cholowski was the last Islander standing at the end of the day.
Lee and the rest of the Islanders will all be at the team’s annual golf outing at Old Westbury Golf & Country Club on Monday before officially starting training camp next Thursday.
More must-reads: