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18 Sports Oakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 255) Fax 905-337-5567 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2009 Son of cancer patient finds way to help the cause By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF I MADE IT: Jesse Smith holds his bike up victoriously after completing the Ride to Conquer Cancer, a 200-kilometre bike ride from Toronto to Niagara Falls. Jesse Smith had been to the hospital with his dad. He had seen people who were battling cancer, the doctors and nurses who were helping to treat the patients, and the researchers who were trying to find a cure for the deadly disease. "I had seen first hand what people were dealing with," Smith said. But it was sitting in the waiting room at the dentist's office where Smith realized he could do something to help. He saw a pamphlet that mentioned the Princess Margaret Hospital and picked it up to pass the time while he waited. It was for the Ride to Conquer Cancer, a recently-held 200-kilometre bike ride from Toronto to Niagara Falls. The 21-year-old talked to a friend who had done the ride the year before and decided it was something he could do. He initially felt it would be a good way to raise awareness about Princess Margaret's work in cancer research. "Even in our neighbourhood, there are people who go to Princess Margaret because it has such a good reputation," he said. "I was just trying to help by giving back to a place that does so much." And while awareness might have been his primary goal, Smith ended up helping out financially as well. He let friends know about his plans on his Facebook page. "I was continuously getting buzzes on my cell phone from people who had donated," Smith said. He ended up raising more than $5,000 and said donations are still coming in. In total, more than 3,500 riders nationwide helped raise $14.5 million. "I'm so proud of him," said his father, Scott Smith. "He came up with this by himself." Scott has not only seen the effects of the disease, he has lived with them since being diagnosed with brain cancer in February of 2008. He went for daily treatments at Princess Margaret and continues to visit the hospital each month for ongoing care. "One day I asked the blood tech, `How many people do you take blood from?'" Smith recalled. "She said 200 a day, five times a week. That's 1,000 people a week, and that's just one hospital in one city." Scott, a long-time volunteer coach, convener and league executive with the Oakville Minor Lacrosse Association, recently had the organization's bantam championship trophy named in his honour. His son's involvement in the sport helped convince Jesse he could complete the ride. Though not an avid cyclist, Jesse keeps in shape by playing lacrosse twice a week. His bike was not made for such trips -- it didn't have an automatic gear changer, making the long climbs up the escarpment in Burlington and up the mountain in Hamilton difficult -- but he was determined to finish. "I had to take a breather and walk it up at times, but everyone was really encouraging. In some of the towns, there were people with signs, waving and cheering you on so even when you got tired, you keep on pushing through." Jesse said it was also inspiring seeing people from all walks of life, including cancer survivors and a blind rider on a tandem bike, participating in the ride. OMLA decides house league champs The Oakville Minor Lacrosse Association recently concluded its house league box lacrosse season with a championship weekend at Glen Abbey Recreation Centre. Champions were decided in the senior peanut, tyke, novice, peewee and bantam divisions. Following is a brief recap of the five championship games. Sr. Peanut Brian Jackman's hat trick lifted the Rock to a 4-2 win over the Shamrox. Rhys Collins also scored for the Rock, which trailed 1-0 early and 2-1 with 10 minutes left. William Sheehan and Joseph Penman tallied for the Shamrox. Tyke Ryan O'Hara scored three times and added an assist, powering the Titans past the Bandits 52. Jack Talbot and Alexander Dameski added singles as the Titans built a 5-0 lead before the end of the second period. Jack Travassas scored twice in the third period for the Bandits. Novice Five different players scored for the Shamrox in a 5-4 victory over the Roughnecks. Ryan Derenzis, Jacob White, Jeffrey Rice, Zack Landau and Jacob Vancraenbrok found the net for the Shamrox, overcoming a threegoal effort by the Roughnecks' Liam Kealley. Liam O'Brien had the Roughnecks' other goal. Paul Franko, Rice and Vancraenbrok had assists for the Shamrox. Peewee Liam Finkle's second goal of the game stood up as the winner as the Rock edged the Mammoth 4-3. Aiden Swanepoel and Matthew Collins also tallied for the Rock, while Jacob Kim, Bradley Bezemer, Jacob Leja, Christopher Howarth, Ryan Grassi and Mitchell Jeffrey earned assists. Jacob Patriquin (two) and Michael Sweeney scored in a losing cause for the Mammoth, with Ryan Horner picking up a helper. Bantam Brandon Stegmaier and Christian Crowley each scored twice to pace the Roughnecks to a 6-3 triumph over the Shamrox. Adam Aue and Connor White had the Roughnecks' other goals, with Mitchell Bowser drawing an assist. Rhys Maguire scored twice and Brodie Schell added a single for the Shamrox. GETTING A JUMP ON THE OPPOSITION: Roughnecks player Carter Forbes (left) comes up with a creative way to defend the taller McKay Schell of the Shamrox during the Oakville Minor Lacrosse Association bantam house league championship game. Schell and the Shamrox earned a 6-3 victory. JON CURRIE / OAKVILLE BEAVER