Several Montreal Canadiens players traded the ice for a charity run Sunday, bringing excitement to young cancer patients and their families at an annual fundraiser. The 25th edition of the Stroll & Dash raised more than $350,000 for Sarah’s Fund for Cedars through the Cedars Cancer Foundation at the Montreal Children’s Hospital (MCH). Jake and Emily Evans, Nick Suzuki, Chris Kreider and Mike Matheson joined families at the event, giving fans a chance to meet the players. For five-year-old H.R. Kelly, the day was particularly special. Kelly was diagnosed with leukemia last September, when he was four. He remains in active treatment, receiving weekly chemotherapy, sometimes more frequently. Sunday’s race was a milestone — as it was the first time Kelly was allowed to participate in the event’s run. “He got to tell them [the players] all about him playing hockey and how he wants to be a hockey player one day too,” his mother, Amanda Strolovitch, told CTV News. A Habs fan through treatment Kelly is a lifelong Canadiens fan and has no shortage of opinions about his favourite team. Although his favourite Habs player, defenceman Arber Xhekaj, was not at Sunday’s event, Kelly is looking forward to seeing him on ice this season. He also has another upcoming opportunity to see his hockey heroes in-person. He and his mother have tickets for the Canadiens’ Feb. 13 game during Family Weekend, when Montreal faces the Washington Capitals. Kelly predicts the Canadiens will win that game — and later on take home the Stanley Cup. He is also looking ahead to getting back on the ice himself. Strolovitch said the family hopes Kelly can transition to maintenance treatment in the next month. While this next step still involves chemotherapy, it could allow him to return to school — starting kindergarten — and resume hockey. “He is doing amazing with all his treatments but really misses being with friends and his hockey team,” Strolovitch said. “We are very much looking forward to letting him get back to just being a kid again.” Supporting children and families Sarah’s Fund for Cedars has raised more than $15 million since its start in 2001, supporting pediatric cancer care, family well-being, and psychological support programs at the MCH’s inpatient hematology-oncology unit. The fund has helped renovate the inpatient unit and equip its games rooms and lounge with toys. It also helps stock the family kitchen with essentials for parents and relatives who have longer stays at the hospital. “Some of them are there for weeks, if not months,” said Michèle LaForest, director of communications for the Cedars Cancer Foundation. “And to be able to create a better experience, things that can make them more comfortable and improve their quality of life are extremely important.” Child life services supported by the fund include clown, pet, art and music therapy — helping children and families cope with the stress and uncertainty of hospital stays. “It’s all to try and make it a little bit more like home,” LaForest said. The foundation also supports humanitarian assistance and psychosocial programs. “Those are the little extras that public hospitals like ours can’t provide,” she added. For families like Kelly’s, that support can bring some sense of normalcy. “They just bring joy to the kids and the families,” Strolovitch said. “Making the experience not so medical for the kids.”
