‘We’ve been through a hell of a lot with him’

Geoff Hoover, a professor in the Goodman School of Business at Brock, helped establish a trust fund for Doczy, as well as a website to collect funds. As of Friday afternoon, more than $22,000 had been raised.

The Attack also helped in the fundraising.

“There are people we know who don’t have two cents to rub together, and they’ve donated,” Tracy Walker said. “And it really means a lot to us. But it speaks about his character, right? People who know him; everybody loves him in Owen Sound.”

Doczy said the money raised will be held in the trust fund and used to help cover the cost of incidentals — he requires a compression sock for his right leg, for example — and also to guard against potential complications.

“Cancer, as you know, it’s very unpredictable,” he said. “We really don’t know what’s going to happen. There might be other things, like maybe I won’t take the interferon (medication) well, and then they might consider radiation. We really don’t know.”

He expected to announce news of the giant private donation before Brock’s game against the University of Toronto on Friday night. The game was originally meant to be a fundraiser, with T-shirts and bracelets on sale with the message: “Do it for Doczy.”

Instead, the fundraiser sounded like it would become more of a celebration.

“We’ve been through a hell of a lot with him since 2007, and every minute of it has been worth it,” Tracy Walker said. “I don’t have my own children, so he’s kind of like our son from another mother. He’s become part of the family.”