Mandi Schwartz was just 23 when she passed away in April 2011 after a two-year battle with leukemia. Many remember the late hockey player for her engaging spirit and love for family and friends.
“Smiles, making people happy, just a caring loving person that treated everyone with respect,” said her father, Rick Schwartz.
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She was born in Wilcox, Sask., and went on to play for the Yale Bulldog’s and participate in the Canadian women’s national team camps.
On Sunday in Saskatoon, family and friends gathered to participate in the fifth annual “Run for Mandi.”
“We’re doing this to honour her and the things that she liked best, being active and training, as well as being with friends and family,” explained Mandi’s mother, Carol Schwartz.
Over $20,000 was raised, which will be added to the $130,000 from previous years.
Money raised from the event goes to a memorial bursary fund at Athol Murray College of Notre Dame and the Mandi Schwartz Foundation at Yale University, which offer financial assistance to hockey players.
“That’s part of their recruiting tool is they have access to the bursary, to help get some girls and boys that maybe wouldn’t have access to that school without the bursary money,” Carol said.
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Mandi’s parents also want to raise awareness about the bone marrow registry and saving umbilical cord blood.
“It’s such an easy donation; it’s actually just giving blood. They do some special procedures to your blood and that’s how you do the donation, it’s not drilling into the body and bone anymore,” Carol explained.