Growing up, Ryan Tattle’s father made sure the future Connecticut forward knew about what is often referred to as the campsite rule.
Originally a principle of outdoor etiquette — leaving a campsite cleaner than you found it — the rule applies to all parts of life in which leaving behind a positive impact benefits the greater good. In Tattle’s case, that has meant striving to make something positive out of something tragic.
In 2022, Tattle’s mother, Joanne, died after a three-year battle with cancer. Now a senior at UConn, Ryan’s efforts to mesh together his love for philanthropy and hockey have come full circle. His former junior team, the British Columbia Hockey League’s Coquitlam Express, has kept up fundraising efforts for the Score for Cancer initiative he started, and across the continent in Storrs, Connecticut, his soon-to-be alma mater also has stepped up to the plate.
“It’s awesome to see how that’s all come together, from where it started,” the Port Moody, British Columbia, native said. “After my 19-year-old year in junior hockey, my mom was still battling, and I had already committed to UConn, but I was pushed back one more year to play another year of junior hockey, as a couple guys had gotten an extra year of college eligibility during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the moment, I was upset about that, but I spoke with my dad and was like, ‘I have one more year of junior hockey. I live 15 minutes from my junior hockey rink, all my friends come to all my games. It’s a very tight-knit community already, but I want to make this year really special.’
“I thought of an idea for a fundraiser, and we came up with Score for Cancer, and my junior team really supported me in that endeavor. We hosted a Score for Cancer game that year and ended up raising $100,000 the first year, and Coquitlam is graciously continuing to put that on now, and we’ve branched out into other events. It’s been a long time coming, but my mom being diagnosed was a big motivator for me, and her passing was even more motivation for me to keep going, because I don’t want other people to have to go through what my family has.”
Ryan’s passion for fundraising began through an initiative his father ran called Lina’s Dream, an endowment fund in honor of a close family friend who died in 2011. Lina’s Dream sponsored annual golf tournaments for a decade, and Ryan was 21 by the time the final tournament took place. He since has transitioned from Lina’s Dream to Score for Cancer and hasn’t slowed down. The further he has progressed during his time at UConn, the more the university has gotten on board, too.
“I’ve had tremendous support here through donations and everything we need,” he said. “They help share Instagram posts to get the brand out there, and UConn assistant athletic director Alana Butler has nominated me for a few awards.
“When you get into philanthropy, you’re not looking to get recognized, but to make a difference. It’s nice to have so many people know what’s going on, and it raises greater awareness for the cause. Whether people want to donate to my charity or choose their own, the most important thing is that we understand how terrible cancer is and how we can make an impact against it together.”
To date, Score for Cancer has raised more than $178,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society, and Lina’s Dream has raised more than $775,000 for breast cancer research. Ryan is currently looking ahead to future Score for Cancer events, including some that would not be directly hockey-related.
“I’m a big advocate for active lifestyles and putting on related events like runs, bike rides and such,” Ryan said. “I’d like to build this up and do some larger-scale events where we’re raising more awareness and more money, and keeping people active.
“I love the hockey side of it, too, and it would be very cool if we could work with more teams on this. I’m very grateful for the support and where we are now, but the goal is to keep this growing and keep things fresh. I know it’s easy for people to think, ‘I gave this event $500 last year, why would I go again?’ so it’s important to keep it fresh and keep putting in new ideas.”
Ryan is working toward a degree in finance, and while it is currently unclear how he will use that, one thing is certain: He’ll keep using his father’s guidance as his north star.
“He used to always say, ‘You leave a footprint everywhere you go,’ and that should be a positive thing,” Ryan said. “When I look back at my time in Coquitlam and starting that event, that footprint feels very positive, and that’s carried over into my time at UConn with the memories and relationships I’ve made.
“Leaving a positive footprint on places and leaving them better than I found them is something I’d like to be remembered for. I want to be a good alumnus for wherever I’ve been.”