Devils’ Brendan Smith’s Kancer Jam Event Surpasses Goal and Raises Over $100,000

Brendan Smith hosted his first-ever Kancer Jam on Jan. 7.

NEWARK, N.J. -- On Sunday afternoon, Jan. 7, New Jersey Devils players and fans gathered at the Naimoli Family Athletic and Recreational Facility at the NJIT campus for Brendan Smith's Kancer Jam event.

Nearly all of Smith's teammates showed up to support him and a cause that means so much to him and his family.

"I was extremely thrilled with how everything unfolded," Smith said Tuesday after practice. "The guys all came through, and that was very touching. We even had guys who were injured that showed up. It was so amazing to see guys like (Meier), (Palat), all the guys that were injured that could not play showed face and it means so much to me. That put the cherry on top. That was amazing."

Throughout Sunday afternoon, frisbees were thrown, conversations were had, laughs were shared, and a trophy was lifted.

Per their official website, their inaugural Jam Kancer In The Kan tournament was held in Scotch Plains, N.J., on Sept. 20, 2014. As their founder, Jamey Crimmins, shared in an interview with Devils' reporter Catherine Bogart, this is the first event held in New Jersey.

"We've been in existence for ten years, and we've never done an event (here) until today," he said. "(Smith) has been to a couple of our events when he played for that other team across the river. He came here and wanted to bring one home, and we were happy to do it with him."

When all was said and done, over $100,000 was raised and donated to The Breast Center at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas Health facility.

"People all over the world are battling this disease. It is great that everybody came here and chose to support and give something back," Nico Hischier said to Bogart. "It means a lot to be here and do something good for the community."

"It means everything to us. A lot of us were able to show up, which was great," Nathan Bastian added. "We want to find a way to show our support, and luckily, Brendan did this event for us to be able to show up and help."

Bastian and his team, known as the "beach boys," won the event and took home the trophy.

"I don't think people in New Jersey realize how much we love New Jersey. To be able to come out here in the community, it means a lot to us," Bastian said.

Emily LeBoeuf and her boyfriend Steve Sharpe were among the teams that participated in the event. Paired with Nico Daws, LeBoeuf said it was one of the best events she has been to.

"I thought it was very well organized, everyone was in a good mood, and it was overall great," she said. "It was lowkey, a very chill, no stress (environment). You could easily walk right up to any player, and they were more than willing to have a conversation with you."

"It was a very different experience to have," she continued. "It was an event that I would recommend people try and sign up for if an event is hosted next year. If you could do it, I would highly recommend it."

An idea that Smith had over the summer came to fruition and turned into a successful event that raised enough money to make a difference in the lives of those struggling with cancer.

"(These events) let people who are suffering from cancer know they are not alone," Crimmins said to Bogart. "When you get diagnosed with cancer, all of a sudden, you're different, and people look at you differently. You feel like you're on an island. You go into treatments, and you're worried about your next treatment. That becomes your whole world."

"When people know that a team of celebrities really care about them, it is amazing how inspiring that is to people," he continued. "We are going to raise over $100,000 today, and it is going to help a lot of people who are going through hell. They are going to know they are not alone."

[gallery ids="1842,1843,1844,1845,1846,1847,1848,1849,1850,1851,1852,1853"]