Adrian Facca (BA’80, BComm’82) was a believer in the power of varsity sports to change your life. During the five years he played for the Dalhousie Tigers, the outstanding winger from Ontario met his wife, Lorraine (BPE’82). He connected with Rick Gaetz, a teammate who started him on a lifelong career in transportation. And he was part of the all-star lineup that claimed the 1978-9 AUS Hockey Championship title. “Being part of a team shaped the person he was,” says Lorraine of her husband, who died in 2011 from cancer. “It gave him a real appreciation for how to compromise, how to get along and how to achieve goals together.”

Supporting Tiger athletics

Inspired by Adrian and his dedication to the Tigers, Lorraine and several of his former teammates are supporting future varsity athletes at Dalhousie through the Adrian Facca Leadership Fund. Established in 2011 and financed in part through an annual golf tournament, it will provide funds to the men’s hockey and women’s volleyball teams for everything from bonding weekends to skills development. In this way, it will help develop tomorrow’s community and business leaders. “He believed playing varsity sports was a great way to learn the skills to succeed in life and this fund celebrates that,” says Lorraine.

 A living legacy

Adrian’s teammates included volleyball athletes, in part because Lorraine played for the team, but also because his daughter, Louise is carrying on the family’s varsity tradition. As captain of the Tigers Women’s Volleyball team, she led the squad to their first AUS banner in eight years this past spring. “I’m really proud of my mom and my family coming together to make this happen,” says Louise, “and I’m really happy that his legacy will live on, not just supporting his team, but also mine.” What would Adrian think of the fund and the tournament? “He would have loved it,” says Lorraine. “It combines his three passions – hockey, golf and volleyball. Our hope is that it will encourage other alumni to join us in supporting the next generation of Dalhousie athletes.