Chris Lesanko.com

I was very fortunate to make it out to this year’s golf tournament in Bracebridge.  We managed to fly in a couple days before the tournament and went downtown Toronto.  Bracebridge is a couple hours away from Toronto-needless to say I think my brother lost a few days of his life with all of the stressed driving.  Bracebridge is a beautiful country.  Once leaving the metropolis area, it was very peaceful and relaxing.

The night before the tournament I got to hang out with a bunch of people from bishops-where I went to school.  It was very good to see each one of them.  It was too long of a time since our last meeting.  Needless to say he morning came fairly quickly and with a lot of rain.  From four o’clock in the morning until seven o’clock at night it rained and rained and rained.  It did not stop the golfers from golfing.  As there was a little bit over 60 golfers attending this year’s golf tournaments in Bracebridge.

It was absolutely fantastic to finally get to meet everybody that has been supporting myself and Mary for the past three years.  I would just like to give  Mary another huge thank you for putting this event on.  She has been pretty much a one-woman army with this event-raising close to $30,000 combined over the three years- and is looking for more volunteers to help with next year’s golf tournament.  So please if you are interested contact her ASAP.

Thank you to everybody that attended this year’s golf tournaments.  Everybody really made me feel at home and I really really really enjoyed meeting everybody and  everybody from school once again.. if it wasn’t for all of you guys coming out and supporting me-this tournament would not be possible and my road to recovery would be a lot slower…….. thank you to everybody and for all of the sponsors and prize donations that were given.

Thank you to all of those individuals that bid on a silent auction price………..

I guess I’d better mention that DREW POLLOCK got a hole-in-one on PAR 4………….. I still think he is lying but I guess he has four witnesses—– congratulations buddy……

The grand total was $9,300 that was raised this year—-thanks again a million to everybody.

I just wanted to say thanks to everybody for attending the third annual CLGC Saskatchewan golf tournament.  We have a record number of golfers this year-23 teams.  Could not ask for a better day.  A huge thank you goes out to all of the tournament organizers— mastermind of the event Brian Ganong.  Thank you to the two guest speakers for sharing their stories and making it a rememberable night.  Thank you so much for the business and individuals for providing a sponsorship and  numerous prizes for silent auction and for each individual at the golf tournament.  Thank you to the golf course/facility for letting us eat all of your food and drink all of your booze………….. and I guess golfing as well.  Last but not least– thank you to all of the individuals that made it out- if you were golfing or eating food at the banquet.  If It was not for each and everyone of you-the road to recovery would be a little bit slower– thanks for your support and friendship.

This year’s golf tournament raised $8,300……………..wwwooowwwwww 

we have already begun planning for next year’s golf tournament– I always mention that we will try to make next years more enjoyable.  I know already, we are on the right path…

Bracebridge golf tournaments is this Saturday.  I am flying out to Ontario on Thursday.  This will be the first time in three years that I will be attending this golf tournament– I really cannot wait to meet everybody that has been supporting me. I will be staying in Toronto/Ontario until Monday. Also it is a very good coincidence that the AMP energy contest is also on this Saturday.  I will be around on Sunday to celebrate with the group when they win the hundred thousand dollars. Below is some information on the process that each of you individuals need to do this Saturday, June 20 at 830 Eastern time.  Click on the following link—-Bishops is what everyone needs to vote for….

http://www.facebook.com/AMPenergycanada?sid=1832888daa4dad4889a08863831ff52b&ref=search

Here are the important times that should be noted and not forgetten:

The performances, which will be streamed LIVE on facebook, will start at 7:30pm eastern time on Saturday, June 20th.

Immediately following the performances at 8:15pm the polls open and everyone can vote for our band via facebook. The voting period is only between 8:15 and 8:45pm-EASTERN TIME so don’t miss your chance!!

To watch and vote on the performances you will need to sign into facebook and go to the AMP Energy Canada page.  Just remember whoever wins the contest-will win $100,000.  This group of great gentleman are willing to donate $40,000 in my recovery fund if you help them succeed in winning this contest…….PPPPPPPPLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEAAAAAASSSSSSEEEEEEEEEE make this a reality.

You must have a face book account to vote-please take the five minutes to sign up—

On behalf of myself, the band members, we thank you all for your support. We will probably be sending out little reminders throughout the week and definitely the day of, so just bare with us!

Thanks again,

Just one month away before the golf tournament in Emerald Park starts-May 30…….. a lot of work has been done and much more is needed to try to make this year’s golf tournaments one step above last year’s success…….. if you are looking for registration sheets please send me e-mail to  brianganong@sasktel.net

Bracebridge is tournaments is starting to fill up as well as some generous prizes have been donated…… I am looking forward to making that trip this year to meet everybody.  Take a look at the website for more details http://www.lesanko.muskokahighlands.com/ 

Other than getting everything ready for the golf tournament.  I managed to make my way to Edmonton to visit my brother and sister-in-law for Easter.  It was definitely good to go and see them again as well as my uncle Dave.  I managed to watch a Edmonton rush lacrosse team— I had a couple of friends on each team as well.  It was good to see a professional lacrosse once again, it was the first time since my accident.

I managed to get myself fairly ill this past Sunday I have been slowly recuperating.  My training really takes a hard blow when I get ill… these next couple of weeks I will have to try to get back on track.

The other course that I enrolled myself into isn’t as interesting as I thought it was– business finance course.  Oh well, only a few more classes last until I get my little piece of paper that will be hanging on the wall or sitting in my desk.

Summertime is quickly approaching, I will be coaching lacrosse once again in the city of Regina.  I have volunteered to become the vice president of Regina Field Lacrosse.  I will also be happy the role of offensive head coach of this years Saskatchewan under 19 provincial lacrosse team……..

Starting the project provider facility has been a struggle but there has been some leeway taking place lately.  Once the website is up-which will be very shortly-I will be happy to share this with you.

Make sure that everybody else for my friends in the ROCK BAND competition from Bishops University.  They are going to make a generous donation to my rehabilitation fund if they take the grand prize.  Here is more information-

 Amp Energy Canada has marketed a competition across all Universities in Canada with a final grand CASH prize. We entered the competition and formed the group ‘Chemical Toilet.’ We are four Bishop’s Lacrosse Players, Alex Inch (Kitchener Jr. A), Mark Kingston (Oakville Jr. B), Jackson Gair (Barrie OLA Major) and Billy Laidler (Burnaby Jr. A) and already won the preliminary competition on Bishops campus. We are NOW in the Quarter Finals with 5 other Universities. Should we collect the most votes they will move on to the semi finals against 9 other finalists. The top 4 vote collecting bands will be flown to Toronto to compete for $100 000 CASH. The winners are based 70% on online voting while 30% is based on performance. We ask all of the BISHOP’S and LACROSSE community to support us in our attempt to win the grand prize.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=59331060977&ref=mf Everybody can vote once a day-it starts on May 6 or go to the Amp energy website 

Please contact Brian Ganong to register.
Phone: 531-9135
E-mail: brianganong@sasktel.net
Send Cheques to -
Brian Ganong
2144 Halifax St.
Regina,SK
S4P1T9

Money raised will go towards Chris’s recovery needs. Chris continues to work very hard in his exercise program and results are showen every year.

Contact Brian if you are interested in becoming a hole sponsor or would like to donate any prizes.

Just want to wish everybody a happy belated new year……

Now that the holidays are finally over, hopefully I can start to burn off a lot of the turkey that was consumed over the break.  I have slowly started to get back into a good routine with exercising.  I had my final examination for my small business management class on January 13…. I really do hope everything went well.  I believe I only have five classes left to get my degree—-finally

Things are progressing well with trying to open up a facility in Regina.  We are currently working on a website which hopefully will be up and running within this week.  We are trying to set a couple of fundraisers and are looking into different government grants that we may be accepted for. It is a large sum of money that we are looking for……..

I will definitely keep everyone posted on how things go,

Just wanted to fire off a quick message to all of you-wishing you guys nothing but the best in the upcoming year.. this has definitely been a very busy year for myself.

March to May-Carlsbad California attended Project walk

June 14-golf tournament at White city

June until August-assistant coach for the under 16 provincial lacrosse team

August 2-big brother’s wedding

November 4-6- travel to Toronto to attend a spinal cord injury conference

June until present-working on establishing a Project walk provider facility in Regina

That was a couple of the major things that went on for me in 2008

Send me off a quick message and let me know how things are going.  Have a safe and happy holiday.. thanks to everybody again for all of the support.

It has definitely been a busy past 2 1/2 months…… I guess the biggest news is, we have established a nonprofit organization called first steps wellness Center.  We also signed the agreement with Project walk-to become the first ever provider facility in Canada.  This facility will concentrate on consistent and intense exercise programs for individuals with spinal cord injuries.  There still is a lot of work to be done before the doors opened.  We are currently in the process of developing a website for this facility as well.

A couple of weeks ago, I attended a spinal cord convention in Toronto.  I wanted to see if there was anything like this in Canada already established.  Although spinal cord injuries have been around for decades and decades, there really wasn’t that much research and science into this area.  It is said that 90% of what we know about spinal cord injuries has been established in the last two decades.  First steps wellness Center is light-years ahead from any other Center.  Although many researchers are trying to help, they are very narrow minded in their own studies too often grasp the overall picture.  First steps wellness Center will incorporate everything that we possibly can to make it easier on individuals with spinal cord injuries.  I established some really good contacts which will hopefully help us down the road.

This project has kept me rather busy, I am still trying to finish off one of my online correspondence classes-which happens to be small business management.  Exercising is going fairly well, but I have encountered some problems with keeping a good routine because of conflicting schedules.  I am also currently working with a female who has a biomechanics degree.  She has proven to be very beneficial in my exercising routines to try to help me with different postural positions and muscle correction.

It is good to see that my Boston Bruins are finally on top-I believe they are second.  Do not know what my plans are for Christmas, probably head back to the farm and maybe had up to Edmonton to see my brother and my uncle.  I want to get back involved with wheelchair rugby.  Hopefully over the winter, I will have enough time to get back on the court.

I will keep you guys posted on the progress with the facility and hopefully next time I provide a updates we will have a website up and running.’

That is all for now………

Once again I do apologize for the very long delay in the update.  Definitely had one of the busiest summers I ever had.  My oldest brother got married in Saskatoon on August 2.  Followed by one of my best friends wedding in Yorkton the following week after which I was the master of ceremonies for.  Also all throughout summer I was the assistant coach of the under 16 provincial lacrosse team.  We had practice almost every other weekend in the summer and we travel to Edmonton on Labor Day weekend.  Things did not go that while as we placed six out of seven, at least we beat Manitoba.

Things have been rather busy with trying to establish a certified Project walk facility in Regina.  The first general board meeting is on October 3, after this meeting hopefully we will be able to have some progress.  If everything goes well hopefully before the beginning of next summer of facility should be established.  There still is a lot of work to be done.

I was still taking a course through correspondence, unfortunately my computer crashed and I lost my third and half of my last assignment.  Luckily I got a extension and hopefully I will be able to get it done before November.

As for my recovery goes, it has been rather frustrating throughout the summer because of everybody’s busy schedules my training routine was messed up for the longest time.  Also with different events that take place weddings, funerals, nationals etc. it takes time away from my training.  I am starting to get back into the swing of things.  Overall, upper body strength has improved which has allowed me to do more things on my own.  My mother finally made her way back to the farm after a couple years of staying with me.  I have been doing a large majority of my workouts standing up in the spending frame.  The benefits are definitely visible in my core stability and also the muscle mass in my legs.  Hopefully I will be able to make my way down to Project walk in the beginning of next year.

Anyways I should probably get going, I hope everything is going well with everyone else.  I cannot wait for the NHL season to start.  Go Bruins

Let me start off by thanking all the individuals that made the tournament in Regina and Bracebridge a huge success once again.  Blaine / Darlene / Brian /Britney / Nick were the  organizers in Regina.  And believe it or not, Mary was the only organizer for the Bracebridge tournament.  I cannot thank you guys enough for all the hard work, valuable time spent and frustrations that you spent into this year’s event to make it even more memorable than the previous year. 

Also a huge thank you goes out to all sponsors for each tournament.  It is truly amazing to see all the support from local businesses and even businesses that are across the country.  Thank you so much for all the door prizes and hole sponsors.

Thank you so much for all the participants who took part in one of the two golf tournaments this year.  Once again it is truly amazing to see all the support from my close friends and family and even from complete strangers that I have not even met.  It truly is special to see all the people who came out to the events in Regina, I am definitely going to make that one in Bracebridge next year you can count on that.

You guys really do not know how much this means to me to see everybody’s continuous support.  Unfortunately the recovery is not very quick but it takes years and years of consistent and intense exercising to recover.  It truly does keep the fire lit with inside of me for another year to keep fighting.. once again thanks a million

please do not hesitate to give me an e-mail is always good to hear from other individuals.  As for me, the rest of my summer consists of trying to get a facility opened up in Regina Saskatchewan, coaching the under 16 provincial lacrosse team, finishing up my correspondence, getting ready for my brothers stag and his wedding, and preparing to be the MC of a close friend’s wedding……. hopefully I really want to try fishing for the first time in 3 1/2 years with my father.

The total amount of money that was raised from the two golf tournaments exceeded the amount of money that was raised last year from three tournaments.  This money goes directly towards my rehabilitation and the prices that come with the intense and consistent training.  Also maybe if I am very lucky, another trip down south to project walk.  I will keep everybody posted, but as you know the summertime nobody wants to be around a computer.

Thank you to all the sponsors from the Regina tournament

 Systems Scaffolding Company – Mr. Don Bell

 Briash Holdings Ltd. – Mr. Darcy Paul

Performance Marine – Mr. Jeff Lorch

These three individuals contributed to the hole-in-one, Mr. Bell also contribute a Ron Lancaster framed autographed jersey which went for $1300- thanks once again 

HOLE SPONSORS:

Briash Holdings Ltd.

CEG Energy Options Inc.

Clear Tech

Fast Athletic Sports Training

Harvest Land Investment Education

Macpherson Leslie & Tyerman

Morris Industries Ltd.

Mosaic Potash Ltd.

NHLfactory.com

Park Avenue Builders (1991) Ltd.

Rusnak Kachur Balako Rusnak Law Firm

SARCAN Recycling

Soaring Ostrich Productions

Systems Scaffolding Inc.

Tan-FX

Thee Lingerie Shoppe

PRIZE SPONSORS:

Artistic Painting

Aspen Links Country Club

Beaver Ridge Lodge

BMO Nesbitt-Burns

Boston Pizza

Brewsters

Broken Rack

B-Sharp Music

Calgary Flames

Curves

David Mitchell

Fit Zone

Future Shop

Great West Brewing Company

Harvest Meats

Heavenly Feet Reflexology

Independent Living

Jane’s Skin Care and Day Spa

Marks Work Wearhouse

Minnesota Swarm

Morris Industries

Moxies Restaurant

NHLfactory.com

Press Box

Provincial Hydraulics

Regina Marine

Regina Pats

Regina Rams

RONA

Saskatchewan Association for Resource Recovery Corporation

Saskatchewan Association of Rehabilitation Centres

Shear Symmetrics

Soaring Ostrich Productions

Systems Scaffolding Company

Tan-FX

Tourism Regina

Uni-Select

Wolseley Waterworks Group

Just wanted to thank all the individual sponsors from the Bracebridge tournament

Hole Sponsors –

·        Greavette Pontiac Cadillac & Garnet Johnson

·        Myraton Industries, Tom and Jill Ryan

·        Trifecta Canada, Doug Pelletier

·        Cottage Country Family Health Team

·        Direct Energy, Harris Hunter

·        Sublime Graphics, Jeremy Cleland

·        Tropical Dream Destinations, Michelle O’Brien

·        Creighton Rock Drill, Jim Creighton

·        Culver & Henderson Building Design, Cynthia Henderson

·        Erborn Electric, Aaron Back

·        BDO Dunwoody, Paul Taylor

·        Digirolomo Greenhouses, Mike Digirolomo & Barb Curry

·        Dave Samborski Realtor

Donations

Joyce Waterman; Scott Hackney; Jen &Vic Steane; Ethel Smith, Jody Smith; Paul Robertson; Harris Hunter; Garnet Johnson; Lockie Wye; Chris Stockwell; Rana Samborski; David Hou; Michelle O’Brien; Jen & Tyler Allair (Inn on Bay);  Robbie and Alain of North Restaurant; Tana D’Amico; Elmer Olsen Model Management; Mariola & Danny Andrusky; Joeffer Caoc; Shirley Farmer; Donalda; Ryan Chatwin; Taboo Golf Course; Silver Lakes Golf Course; Muskoka Stone and Garden; Shine; Conquest Tours; Sue Ferguson; Signature Tours; Paul Robertson; Orillia Floors; Windermere Golf& C.C.; Jeremy Hymers; Tim HortonsGravenhurst.

Special Thanks to :

Don MacKay and his staff including golf pro Darrick Harrop for their help in making this a spectacular day! 

As you can see from both golf tournaments amount of sponsorships is unbelievable, thank you to everybody who contributed something towards the event 

I have been back in Saskatchewan for a couple of weeks finally getting back into the routine of thing.  Started up my personal trainer last week and also have been working out with brian ever since we got back.  We have picked up a couple of new things to try which we have been working on to improve my overall stability within my hips and my abdominals.  Last Thursday my brother and Tyler M. managed to get me up on my feet with very little assistance while I was standing straight up.  Which is pretty impressive given the fact that no physiotherapy place has ever tried to do that-except for project walk. I am still doing the usual three hours a day - four days a week workout routine.

For anybody who is interested-we are having our first general meeting to discuss opening a facility which would be project walk certified in Regina Saskatchewan.  This meeting will be held at my apartment on the 27th of May at 7:30 please send me a e-mail if you are interested in attending or if you would like to be put on the contact list for further information regarding this facility. www.chrislesanko12@hotmail.com

We are starting to get down to our final preparations for the golf tournament which will be held on June 14 in Regina, Saskatchewan formerly known as Emerald Park golf and country club.  Information regarding registration and sponsorship are listed on the left hand side of my website -golf tournament 08  

I am still taking a small business management class through Athabasca University, which sadly to say, has been left on my computer desk for some time.. I do have a couple more months to complete this course, so we things will start to slow down so I can start getting smarter once again -hehe

anyways that is it for now-I will try to send off another update but it may be a little while because of the hectic schedule-