Ben Stelter Foundation announces new cancer treatment center in Edmonton

EDMONTON -- The Ben Stelter Foundation is looking to bring a new form of cancer treatment to Canada.

The fund, which was named after Edmonton Oilers superfan Ben Stelter, who captured the hearts of the team and city during his battle with cancer, announced plans on Thursday to be involved in the building of a new proton therapy treatment center.

Stelter died in August 2022 from glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer, at the age of 6. Ben’s father, Mike, is currently in a cancer battle of his own, which required him to travel to the University of Pennsylvania for proton therapy treatment, which is not available in Canada.

“It was difficult to put into words how hard it was to be separated from my family for nine months,” Mike said Thursday. “It puts an incredible strain on the family along with a tremendous financial burden.”

Mike was diagnosed with sarcoma in April after doctors found a tumor in his back.

“The proton therapy treatment was painless. I was usually in and out of the facility in 30 minutes,” he said. “I’m happy to report I no longer have to take steroids for pain due to the treatments.”

Oilers captain Connor McDavid has been involved with the Ben Stelter Foundation since its inception shortly after Ben's death. He first met Ben in September 2021 and introduced him to the rest of the team on March 24, 2022, when Stelter acted as the Scotiabank Skater against the San Jose Sharks at Rogers Place.

Edmonton forward Zach Hyman took Ben to the postgame press conference after the 5-2 win, introducing him to the rest of the Oilers' fanbase. The entire Stelter family were regulars at Roger Place during the Oilers run to the Western Conference Final in 2022, when they were swept by the Colorado Avalanche.

“I got to see the facility in Pennsylvania earlier this year and they were taking good care of Mike,” McDavid said. “It’s truly as state-of-the-art facility they have and I’m super excited that they want to bring it to Alberta. This is something that is close to my heart. Cancer is something that affects all of us.”

Ashif Mawji, the chair of the Ben Stelter Foundation, said they would like to break ground on the new facility this year and plan to have it up and running in the first quarter of 2027.

“This is our No. 1 priority because proton therapy has been known to be the best treatment for pediatrics,” Mawji said. “It’s not just for adults. One of the things I didn’t know is that because kids are so resilient, if we get this treatment to them early enough, it can get rid of their cancer, so it is important. It can change a lot of lives, save a lot of lives.”