An NHL-bound goalie from Cambridge is taking some time away from his busy schedule to raise money for a cause that's close to his heart.
Tristan Lennox was drafted by the New York Islanders with the 93 pick in the 2021 NHL draft. The 20-year-old goalie currently plays for the Saginaw Spirit in Michigan, but holds on to his roots from his Cambridge home.
After his grandfather Rick Wall died from Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Lennox knew he needed to do something to honour his grandfather.
“While he was grieving, Tristan came to us with the idea of starting a charity to raise money in support of people who are fighting ALS; to do it for his grandfather,” said Jeoff Lennox, Tristan's father.
In an effort to raise awareness and support research for the disease that took his grandfather, Lenny’s House was born.
In his time collecting donations, Tristan was able to present the ALS Society of Canada with a cheque for $10,000.
Help came from not only the community and his fans, but his team in Saginaw. Everything from game work equipment to signed jerseys were auctioned off in an effort to raise as much as they could for Lenny’s house.
“He was so thrilled to be able to raise $10,000 in his first year collecting,” said Kim Lennox, Tristan’s mother. “Especially during a COVID year where people weren't out as much.”
Tristan was very close with his grandfather, who helped fuel the fire for his NHL dreams.
When he was younger his grandfather cleared out a space in his basement for the grandchildren to play ball hockey.
Wall would try and make every game he could to make sure he was one of Tristan’s biggest supporters. He would often make the trip from Cambridge to the GTA to watch his grandson play hockey as he climbed through the ranks of youth leagues in Ontario.
When Tristan was drafted into the OHL, he had his grandpa by his side as he was the first goalie selected in that year's draft class.
Around the time of the OHL draft is when Wall’s condition started to deteriorate, although at that time they were unsure of what it was. The family was devastated later when doctors confirmed he was battling ALS.
“Grandpa glowed with pride at every step and achievement along the way,” said Jeoff. “He was able to watch on television as Tristan won a silver medal in 2019 at the U18 Ivan Hlinka/Wayne Gretzky Tournament in Europe.”
In late 2019, Wall took a turn for the worse and was admitted into a long term care facility.
Despite his illness, he still encouraged Tristan to follow his dream and join the Saginaw Spirit, where he would later be drafted by the Islanders.
In May 2020, at the age of 79, Wall passed away at a long term care facility in Cambridge.
“Tristan learned a lot from him and that’s why he wants to try to take those lessons and do something good with them,” said Kim.
After raising the $10,000 for ALS, Tristan wants to keep Lenny’s House going, but shift its focus to another cause.
He is now looking to the community and his fans to help suggest organizations and causes that could use additional support.
They have talked about raising money for the Ronald McDonald House, MAAD and War Amps. There are also a number of local charities and women’s shelters in Cambridge and Ontario that could be under consideration for the next fundraising drive.
“He really wants to raise money for a cause that maybe isn’t that well known or could use the extra support,” said Kim.
An announcement is expected to be made by the end of August that will include details about the chosen charity.
If anyone wants to suggest a charity, Lenny’s House is asking to be contacted directly through the website.
