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Canadian Cancer Society fundraiser memorializes Langley’s Scott Trapp, a ‘super kind guy’

Annual ball hockey tournament at UBC has raised more than $100,000, and counting, for cancer research and eradication initiatives.
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The Scott Trapp Stick-It to Cancer Memorial Tournament is a ball hockey event at UBC happening this Saturday at UBC


Troy Landreville

Black Press

By all accounts, Scott Trapp was the sort of guy who would put others first.

Scott’s mom Lennie recalls one particular night when her son went out on the town with some friends in Vancouver. No one could find him inside, so they went outside and found him sitting at a pizza shop, where he had bought a homeless lady dinner.

This sort of selflessness and caring nature is why Scott is remembered so fondly by the many people he crossed paths with, over the 20 years he was with us.

And Scott’s legacy carries on through an annual ball hockey tournament that each year raises the fundraising bar, with proceeds going to the Canadian Cancer Society.

A 2012 Brookwood Secondary grad, Scott was diagnosed with a rare childhood cancer, Rhabdomyosarcoma, in November 2013.

He battled the disease through a year of chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

In October 2014, Scott was given the all-clear by doctors. But in early December, doctors discovered the cancer had returned.

He passed away less than three weeks later with his family and friends by his side on Dec. 26 at the age of 20.

Scott left behind his parents, Doug and Lennie, and sister Janelle.

Fraternity honours friend

After graduating from Brookwood Secondary, Scott attended UBC, where he was accepted into the faculty of engineering.

In his second year on campus, he joined the Delta Kappa Epsilon (DKE)-Phi Alpha (UBC) chapter of the fraternity.

In 2015, the fraternity renamed their annual ball hockey tournament in Scott’s honour. It is now the Scott Trapp Stick-It to Cancer Memorial Tournament.

The charity tournament marks its sixth year this Saturday, March 18, and goes from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at UBC.

The aim to help the Canadian Cancer Society with treatment and eradication initiatives, with a fundraising goal this year of more than $35,000.

All indications point to this fundraising target inching close to the desired number. As of March 13, $24,751 had been raised, with five days to go before the event.

“We already have a lot of corporate sponsors for pretty large amounts lined up right now,” tournament coordinator Ryan Leggett said.

In 2012, the inaugural year of the fundraiser, 10 teams raised $5,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society. In each of the next four years, the fundraising total has climbed, for a total of over $100,000 to date.

Totals over the next four years were:

2013: $7,006;

2014: $26,111;

2015: $37,176; and

2016: $34,045.

To learn more about this year’s tournament and to donate directly online, click here.

‘Touched a lot of lives’

Leggett joined DKE the same year as Scott — and they met in September 2013.

“We went through that whole process together,” Leggett said. “I really got to know him pretty well through that.”

Leggett remembers Scott as a “super kind guy.”

“He had such a vast network of friends, not only at UBC but where he was from in Langley,” Leggett said. “He was a nice guy who you could tell touched a lot of lives.”

Leggett continued, “We all couldn’t help but notice how positive Scott was through the whole thing. He fought hard. He fought from November 2013 all the way to October 2014 when he was first told he was cancer-free, so almost a full year of chemo and radiation that he fought through.

So obviously he was a fighter.”

All through his cancer ordeal, Scott tried to keep a positive outlook, Leggett noted. “He wasn’t going to put his problems first; he was always going to come with a smile on his face and make the best of any situation. It was pretty incredible to watch him through that whole thing, the strength that he showed.”

Leggett said it’s “pretty cool” to see all the hard work that the organizers put in pay off the day of the tournament.

“It’s also a lot of fun, the tournament itself,” Leggett said. “I’m excited. It’s a little bit stressful, a lot of work, but it’s definitely worth it.”