The Justin Lefebvre Foundation hockey tournament
The Richmond Arena was the obvious choice for Patrick Lefebvre when he thought of organizing a benefit hockey game. The arena carries the name of his grandfather, Paul-émile. The Justin Lefebvre Foundation, the group organizing the benefit event, carries the name of his nephew.
There’s a lot of hockey between Paulémile, who passed away in 1993, and Justin, who died in a tragic swimming accident in June of 2017.
“I was quite young when my grandfather died,” says Patrick Lefebvre, “so I know him through stories that I’ve heard about him. The most interesting observation about him was that he was a man who never smiled, but who also loved practical jokes. I don’t know how much of a hockey player he was, but he contributed a lot to hockey in the community. He was in charge of the arena for 23 years and during that time it was practically his second home. He was very involved with the group that brought organized minor hockey to Richmond. He also helped with the creation and running of the annual atom Mousquiri tournament.”
Paul-émile’s son (and Patrick’s father), Paul played hockey and as a youngster also frequently worked with his father in the arena. Patrick and his two brothers, Benoit and Mathieu, all play hockey. Patrick is a goaltender who does occasional duty with the Richmond Old Timers. He is also part owner of the Windsor hockey team, the Wild, along with his brother Benoit, and Sylvain Parenteau, another hockey aficionado from Richmond.
“Justin had also started playing hockey,” says Patrick. “He was a fair player but he stood out in other ways. He was the oldest of three brothers, and he was very responsible, very mature for his age. Among other things he enjoyed spending time in Richmond where he was fascinated by his grandfather’s workshop.”
Justin had only recently turned eight when an innocent game at a birthday party turned tragic. As all children do at some time or other, Justin and his friends had been competing to see who could hold their breath underwater the longest.
“The grandfather of Justin’s best friend was there at the poolside with several other parents, including a doctor,” Patrick explains. “They were watching the kids. Ironically, they had just suggested to the kids to move on to another game. The boys pleaded to have one last contest.”
Unfortunately, despite the fact that he was pulled from the pool quite quickly and despite a doctor’s presence, Justin couldn’t be revived until after he’d been rushed to the hospital. By then, he was in need of life support.
“It’s quite surprising how quickly things can move,” Patrick comments. “Only a few weeks before he drowned, Justin had signed his own organ donor card. Within 24 hours of arriving at the hospital, Justin’s organs had been donated to help save the lives of four other children.”
The foundation bearing Justin’s name also came about quite quickly.
“One of Justin’s friends thought it would be nice to have a foundation,” Patrick says. “The child had heard the word ‘foundation’ without knowing all it implied, and his idea was dismissed. But a few weeks later the idea was re-examined and the Fondation Justin Lefebvre has been active since November.”
The foundation raises funds with the aim of helping families in two different ways. Because Justin was such an active and involved boy, the foundation bearing his name, will help defray registration fees and equipment costs for youngsters seeking to play sports like soccer and hockey.
Because organ transplants, for the families of donors as for the families of recipients, can be financially as well as emotionally difficult, the foundation will help defray costs for families undergoing the experience that Justin’s family has recently lived.
“We held our first event last November, in Sherbrooke,” notes Patrick. “It was a family-centred event at the Complexe Sportif Thibault GM in Sherbrooke that featured a father-son hockey tournament.”
The event was a success, so much so that the idea of organising a benefit hockey game in Richmond came almost immediately to Patrick’s mind. In part this was because 11 years ago, when he was studying marketing at Cégep he undertook, as an academic project, to organize a similar benefit game in Windsor between the Papetiers and a team composed of old pros.
“That turned out to be a successful
fundraising event, and I think this benefit game will be too,” he says. “I started making phone calls in December. The Richmond Old Timers were glad to get involved. The Old Pros, Anciens Professionels, are retired Nhlers, professional players from the area, or formers players from the Quebec Major Junior league, and I called them one by one.”
While it took time, the job was made easier because Patrick had kept his contact list from his Cégep class and, because of his own extensive involvement in hockey, he has met a number of former players on other occasions.
People who follow hockey will recognize the names of some of the Old Pros, like Sean Mckenna who grew up in Asbestos and played several years in the NHL. Those who follow hockey very closely may recognize the name Gilles Levasseur who grew up in Richmond. While he never made it to the NHL, he holds the record for most goals scored in one game at the Quebec International Pee Wee tournament.
The benefit game between the old pros and the Richmond Old Timers is going to cap the event that is going to start a 6:00 pm with a family tailgate party featuring music and inflatable games. The event is going to be a bit of a reunion for the Old Timers, past and present, with quite a few of those who’ve played for the Old Timers over the last 50 years planning to attend. The benefit game itself will start close to 8:00 pm.
“If we reach our goal,” says Patrick, “we’ll raise $7000 for the foundation and $1500 for Richmond Minor Hockey.”
There’s a good chance Patrick will reach his goal. The Richmond arena can seat 492 patrons. There is standing room for another 100 spectators. One week before the game 450 tickets were already sold.
The Old Pros / Old Timers game is at 8:00 on Saturday, March 17 at the Richmond arena. Tickets cost $15.00 and are available at Quillorama or at the arena.
“We want to express our thanks to our sponsors, including the Town of Richmond for the use of the arena,” Patrick finishes. “It should be a great evening. Everyone is welcome, and we’ll find a place for everyone who shows up.”