NCCF was honored to be the beneficiary of the Icing Lymphoma event held in Rockville, MD on June 25, 2016 at the Rockville Ice Arena in Rockville, MD. Icing Lymphoma is a fundraising group is a fundraising group working towards benefiting charities that support young adult lymphoma and cancer patients and their families. And they love ice hockey! The group was started by Curtis McIntyre and his friends after Curtis was diagnosed with T-Cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma in 2011.
Curtis loved sports, and playing ice hockey was one of his passions. He was a member of the inaugural hockey team at the University of Tampa. Although he was forced to take a leave of absence from school to return home for treatment, he was eventually able to return to school and the hockey team. Curtis also made it his mission to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, organizing several fundraisers with his teammates. Curtis loved hockey and his passion for the sport did not waver even when he was battling lymphoblastic lymphoma. Although he passed away shortly before the first Icing Lymphoma charity hockey game took place in 2012, his ideas and his memory live on.
This year’s fundraising activities, which included a poker tournament and happy hour at the Greene Turtle in Olney, MD culminated in a hockey game on June 25th where friends and family gathered to celebrate Curtis’ legacy and play the game he loved. The event also honored the memory of Sean Mayhew who lost his battle with pancreatic cancer March 25th. Sean was one of the original organizers of Icing Lymphoma and skated in both the 2012 and the 2014 games. His skill on the ice and his enthusiastic participation in seeing Icing Lymphoma succeed were missed. As a result of their efforts, Icing Lymphoma raised over $9,000 for NCCF. The proceeds went directly to fund 10 scholarships for young adult cancer survivors who have shown a commitment to athletics and education and serve as an inspiration to others through their positive attitude and love of life.
Curtis’ passion was helping other people and making every day count. He is remembered for his positive attitude, bravery, and optimism throughout his rigorous battle with Lymphoma. His legacy as a humble warrior who wanted nothing more than to see others enjoying life to the fullest continues on through Icing Lymphoma. NCCF is humbled to be the recipient of the generosity of Curtis’ legacy of selflessness and concern for others. We are honored to call the McIntyre family and the Icing Lymphoma team our friends.