The CFL has always worked alongside various charities with the aim of fostering better communities and making a difference to the lives of those in need. This fall, Taylor Robertson, offensive linesmen for the Toronto Argonauts, partnered with the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation to launch the campaign Life on the Line. The charity, which aims to raise awareness and money for breast cancer research, is a cause close to Taylor’s heart, having lost his mother to breast cancer when he was seven. It was this event that propelled Taylor to partner with the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and begin LOTL. Despite his busy schedule, The Varsity was able to interview him right after the Eastern Division Playoffs.
The Varsity: You recently tweeted “12 yrs (4college, 8pro) never won any kind of post season game, can’t explain how good this feels!!” Could you try and describe this past season in comparison to the others you have played as a CFL player?
Taylor Robertson: Every season is different. For me the feeling of winning a playoff game was unlike any other because it was a first for me. Any time you have a first in your career its special.
TV: What made you decide to start up Life On The Line? And that name: where was that derived from?
TR: I have always been associated with different cancer charities throughout my career. While playing in Calgary I was involved with the Canadian Cancer Society, which in turn formed a very successful partnership with the Calgary Stampeders and the CCS which still exists to this day. However, I have always wanted to have my own program with the capabilities to have my own iniatives and send the messages that I felt were important. After being traded to Toronto, I felt the time was right to start creating my own program. The name actually was going to be the title of my blog entries on my website, however when I decided to go the non-profit route and create this, I thought that name would be perfect. Life on the Line comes from, well, my position on the field is an offensive lineman, and the blogs were going to be somewhat about my life. When I decided to use it for the program, I thought it related well because of what I do for a living, and also because of the severity of breast cancer and how peoples’ lives are on the line when they get diagnosed by this disease.
TV: When did you decide to set up LOTL? And how does it work?
TR: I made the decision about a year and a half ago. I had talked about it for a while and did a lot of research. When I was comfortable with everything I started the process. A lot of people probably don’t realize that this stuff doesn’t just pop up overnight, it takes alot of time and effort to create — especially if you want to do it right! LOTL is a non-profit organization in support of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. All money raised goes directly to the CBCF.
TV: What do you see LOTL doing in the future?
TR: We have a large number of events planned for this upcoming year and we will be announcing them as they come up. The events will be something people can keep checking out lifeontheline.ca for information about.
TV: In October there was Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation Run at UTM, which you had attended. How was that? Is there something similar to that coming up? Will LOTL ever do anything on that scale for fundraising, or is LOTL meant to function as a purely donation charity?
TR: It was great. I had the opportunity to speak during the opening ceremonies which was awesome. I was grateful for that opportunity. The run for the cure was the first event we did and unfortunately, [we] barely had any time to put anything together due to time constraints. But we’re already working on next year’s run, and will have some big things planned for it. We will do lot of fundraising events ourselves, again though. We are not announcing those events at this time, but we will be in the very near future, and they will be big. May 2011 — that’s the only hint I’ll give out!
TV: How much has LOTL raised thus far?
TR: Since our launch in September we have raised $4,745. Only a small portion is from Run for the Cure. It’s mainly from the win-matching donation program.
TV: How do you see players moving around in the offseason? Any major changes you think are coming?
TR: No team is ever the same from year-to-year. You always have retirements, trades, free agency, and releases. It’s just the nature of this business. You never know what to expect in the offseason. Even the championship teams make changes. Nobody is ever safe in pro sports.
TV: What’s your primary goal for the offseason?
TR: Do what I need to do to improve and to help my team improve for the 2011 season, as well as build LOTL to help make a difference in the fight against breast cancer.
