Hockey and finding a cure for type 1 diabetes (T1D)—one a life-long passion, and the other a more recent passion born out of a horrible disease that has had a profound impact on my family’s life. For the last twelve years, these two interests have come together annually at the Cranberry Cup, an adult charity hockey tournament on Nantucket.

Hockey has always been part of my life. I loved playing the sport even at a young age and I continue to enjoy playing as an old, slow, less skilled adult. So in 2004, when a few friends reached out about a small first time charity adult hockey tournament to be held at a new rink on Nantucket, I was all in. There were four teams that first year, but it quickly grew and soon included 20 teams and players from all over the U.S. and Canada, even a few from Europe. A close friend and I put a team in every year, and the tournament became a can’t miss event for me and many of my close friends. The hockey was mixed in with some golf and trips to the Cisco brewery, and always included an auction to raise money for various charities.

Life for our family changed in the summer of 2010 when our son, Will, then six-years-old, was diagnosed with T1D. As everyone who has experienced this knows, it was a shock to my wife, Sheila, and me, changed a young child’s life, and impacted the whole family. After we got more used to the new normal, raising money to help cure, treat, and prevent T1D became a passion, and we became involved with JDRF in a number of ways. I approached the Cranberry Cup’s three founders, Grant and Zack Gund and Hans Brigham and asked if they would consider adding JDRF as a charity, and I will be forever grateful that they agreed. Since then, the tournament has had an important personal meaning to me, and became more so in the summer of 2020 when our youngest son, Drew, then 11-years-old, was also diagnosed with T1D. Throughout the years, we have had players who have T1D themselves, as well as other parents of T1D patients. I am proud of what the tournament has become, grateful that so many people give their time, and are generous with contributions.

Today, the tournament benefits three very important charities: JDRF, The Foundation Fighting Blindness and Asperger/Autism Network (AANE), and all proceeds from the tournament are split evenly between these organizations.

JDRF Your Way

Turn your favorite hobby, talent, passion, or celebration into a fundraiser at yourway.jdrf.org