Island Bernard-Docker’s initials, I.B.D., proved to be a most unfortunate foreshadowing when, two years ago, the young hockey player was sent to the hospital in pain and subsequently diagnosed with Crohn’s, a type of inflammatory bowel disease.
Doctors would determine she needed surgery to remove the majority of her colon. “Basically, an 18-year-old girl’s worst nightmare,” said Bernard-Docker, 20, speaking to a large crowd at the 17th annual Martini Madness fundraiser for Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, held at LAGO Bar and Grill, at Dow’s Lake Pavilion, Thursday.
It wasn’t the typical topic of conversation one hears in a room full of 400 people. Yet, they were the details one should hear in order to appreciate the importance of raising funds and awareness for a currently incurable disease.
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Andy Scott, a hockey players agent with the NHL and lawyer with Scott Law Group, and senior investment advisor and life insurance advisor Jon Beckman, of Beckman Wealth Management, were back to co-chair the popular fundraiser.
Returning to the organizing committee were Santini Gallery art dealer and consultant Lauryn Santini and her husband, Dave Warren, managing partner of ReferralMortgages.com, and senior IT advisor Deborah Power, while new this year were Scott’s sister Tara Lawlor, executive sales manager for Dentsply Sirona, Fraser Sutherland from the Sutherland Investment Group of CIBC Private Wealth Wood Gundy, and Lucie Andlauer, CEO of Subterra Renewables. She’s married to Ottawa Senators majority owner Michael Andlauer, CEO of Andlauer Healthcare. The couple attended that night. Also part of the team were Stephen Piercey, vice president of sales with CBRE, Nick Hannah, commercial realtor with Lennard Commercial Realty, Shawn French, software engineer with Shopify, and Danielle Redekop, coordinator with Crohn’s and Colitis Canada.
The Andlauers watched in amusement as Ottawa lawyer Lawrence Greenspon auctioned off 12 tickets in the 100 Level Owner’s Suite for an Ottawa Senators home game during the 2024/2025 season, donated by the Ottawa Senators hockey club. It sold for $7,000 to Fraser Sutherland.
KPMG Private Enterprise senior manager Stacey McMillan, who’s one of the Forty Under 40 award recipients announced this week, was highest bidder on tickets to a 49ers football game package in San Francisco, donated by Gold Bar Whiskey. Also popular was the one week stay in a two-bedroom oceanview villa at the Grand Isle Resort & Spa in Exuma, The Bahamas, courtesy of Foundation WCPD. It sold for $9,000.
There were three donated dinners at local restaurants that collectively raised more than $15,000. They included one dinner for eight at Harmons Steakhouse with Sens defenceman Jakob Chychrun, another at North & Navy for six with former Ottawa Senators player Marc Methot, and a third at The Whalesbone for six with Sens player Tim Stützle. It was bought by Faces Magazine owner and editor-in-chief Justin MacKinnon for $6,218 (the specific dollar amount relates to Greenspon’s preference for the number 18, considered lucky in many cultures). Items also included a Mike Tyson-signed boxing glove and tickets to a Glass Tiger concert, with signed guitar.
The evening’s presenting sponsor was Kelly Santini LLP, represented by Pat Santini and fellow partners of his law firm.
The room heard how Martini Madness has grown from a small event that started with a few dozen supporters sipping the classic cocktail and bidding on art. Last night’s fundraiser raised more than $100,ooo, bringing the amount to date to more than $750,000. Performing were Dave Kalil, Tyler Kealey and Todd Huckabone from the Dueling Pianos. Visual artists David Casey and Jenn Thornhill Verma spent the night working on their respective canvases to complete paintings sold off that night.
Martini Madness has grown so successful that Crohn’s and Colitis Canada president and CEO Lori Radke flew up from Toronto to attend. During her brief remarks, she spoke about the progress being made in world-leading Canadian research to find a cure. Currently, there’s a global research study being led in Toronto, called the GEM (Genetic, Environmental Microbial) Project, to uncover possible triggers of Crohn’s disease, she said.
Bernard-Docker, in sharing her inspiring story, spoke about the embarrassment she initially felt, living with an ostomy bag, and of how desperately she wanted to return to hockey. She plays for Mount Allison University in Sackville, N.B. She took up the sport “since I could pretty much walk”, following in the skate tracks of older brothers Jacob and Seth.
“Everyone around me seemed to be moving forward with their life while I felt like Crohn’s had stripped me of the largest part of my identity of being a healthy, athletic individual,” the young woman told the room.
Bernard-Docker was limited in what she was permitted to do, physically. She was allowed to walk. So she did. Every day. “I was basically our Neighbourhood Watch.”
The young woman refused to quit the sport because of her disease and, through grit and determination, trained as hard as she could, returning to the team faster than expected. But, it’s not like the disease went away, she pointed out.
“This ‘invisible disease’ is still something I deal with,” said Bernard-Docker. “When I speak to many people, they use the past tense, saying ‘You were sick’, not understanding that Crohn’s is a chronic illness. Meaning, once you are diagnosed, it is something that is with you until death.
“The disease sucks. Point blank period.”
Bernard-Docker said she does feel gratitude in how IBD has inspired her to be part of something bigger than herself — helping to raise awareness and money toward “creating a future where those diagnosed with Crohn’s have a more manageable time battling the disease and that, I hope, one day leads to a cure.”
