Our Story
Turning a Life, We Were Never Ready to Lose into a Legacy That Lives On
Dylan Gervais was 18 years old when his life was taken by leukemia.
To us, he was so much more than a diagnosis.
He was our son, our brother, our teammate, our friend. He was a young man who loved baseball and hockey, loved being part of a team, and loved the people around him.
Dylan was the kind of kid who showed up. He worked hard. He cared about his teammates. He encouraged others. He understood that being part of a team was about more than winning—it was about supporting the people beside you.
Those are the things we remember most.
And those are the things we want his name to stand for.
Why We Created the Fund
Losing Dylan changed our family forever.
There are no words for losing a child, and there is no way to fill the space left behind. But as we learned how to live with a loss we never wanted, we also began asking ourselves a different question:
What can we do with all this love?
The answer became the Dylan Gervais Youth Athletics Fund.
Sports was such an important part of Dylan's life. It gave him friendships, belonging, goals, challenges, and memories that our family will treasure forever.
But we also know that not every child has the opportunity to play.
For some families, the cost of registration, equipment, and participating in baseball can be a barrier. A child shouldn't have to miss out on something they love simply because their family can't afford it.
So, we decided to do something about it.
Through the fund, we are providing financial assistance to help local children participate in baseball.
We are also honouring young people who demonstrate the qualities Dylan carried with him—leadership, character, determination, perseverance, and sportsmanship—through annual baseball, hockey, and school awards presented in his memory.
Why It Matters
This isn't really about baseball.
And it isn't really about awards.
It's about opportunity.
It's about giving a child the chance to step onto a baseball field, put on a glove, and feel like they belong.
It's about recognizing the young person who may not be the star athlete, but who always encourages their teammates.
The one who keeps going when things get hard.
The one who leads by example.
The one who shows kindness when nobody is watching.
Those things matter.
Dylan's life taught us that we never know how much time we have. We also learned that a person's impact isn't measured only by the number of years they live, but by the lives they touch while they are here.
Carrying Dylan Forward
Our community knew Dylan. They watched him grow up. They watched him play. They cheered for him. And when our family faced the unimaginable, they stood beside us.
This fund gives all of us a way to keep standing together.
Every child who receives help.
Every athlete who is recognized.
Every award presented.
Every sponsor who believes in what we're doing.
Every volunteer who gives their time.
Every person who steps onto a baseball field because a financial barrier was removed.
That is Dylan's legacy.
We can't give Dylan more years.
But we can give his name more moments.
We can take the love we will always have for him and turn it into opportunity for another child.
We can continue to celebrate the things Dylan loved.
And we can remind young people that character matters just as much as the game.
Dylan's story didn't end on November 27, 2023.
It continues every time a child gets the opportunity to play.
Every time a young athlete is recognized for who they are.
And every time our community comes together in Dylan's name.
This is our story.
This is Dylan's legacy.
And this is how we carry him forward.