So many people and groups have helped out the Humboldt Broncos and the families of those affected by the events of April 6.
The Yellowknife Wolfpack did its part on Sunday and raised a good chunk of money in the process.
The atom and peewee Wolfpack teams joined forces to play a charity game at the Multiplex on Sunday, mixing up their rosters into Team Blue and Team White. Team White won the game, 5-2, but the result was secondary as it was all in support of the Broncos.
Kacee MacLean helped put the whole day together and said it couldn't have gone any better than it did.
“The response from the community was fantastic,” she said. “I wasn't sure how many people would attend but when you look up in the stands and see a pretty full house, I'm so happy.”
Admission to the game was by donation and there were several other ways people could help: a silent auction table, 50/50 draw and a Toonie Stick, where people paid $2 per entry to win a hockey stick filled with taped toonies.
The community response to the day, said MacLean, was fantastic, considering she didn't have to approach anyone for donations.
“Companies and people kept telling me they would be bringing something in for the auction,” she said. “It was an awesome community response.”
As of press time, more than $20,000 had been raised, which will be going to the GoFundMe campaign set up to support the families affected by the crash, and there was still more to come, she added.
“We had sizable cash donations from The Medicine Shoppe and Diavik and we have a couple of other people who were still getting their money in,” she said.
The pre-game ceremony featured the NWT Pipe Band playing Amazing Grace, followed by messages from MacLean, Kyle Kugler, Hockey North's executive director, Gary Vivian, past president of Hockey North, Brad Anstey, president of Hockey NWT and TJ Noyce of the atom Wolfpack, who had the idea of having the game in the first place.
Both sets of teams stood together around centre ice in remembrance of the 16 people who were killed in the crash and all players wore green armbands as part of their uniforms. Every stick was taped in green and gold, the colours of the Broncos, and the players all wore decals on their helmets with the Broncos logo.
The coaching staffs from both Wolfpack teams put their teams together in the days leading up to the game but for Anstey, who coaches the peewee Wolfpack, winning was never the goal.
“It's all about going out there and playing,” he said. “It's why we play the game and we have to be thankful for that. I told the kids in the dressing room before the game that's what the Broncos would want us to do and have fun doing it but be respectful at the same time,”
In terms of the money raised from the game, Anstey said it was a phenomenal amount considering getting the game together took just a little over a week.
“There's just no words to describe it,” he said. “It's amazing that it all came together as fast as it did but it shows you just what kind of community we have in hockey. When something bad happens, it's like a family coming together.”
What happened near Tisdale, Sask., on April 6 hit close to home for Anstey as his son, Ethan, makes those same long bus trips to play road games with his team at Shawnigan Lake School in B.C.
“You can get really bad weather when you're travelling across Vancouver Island and into the interior and the Okanagan,” he said. “You're always thinking about it. This could have been Ethan's bus or anyone else's bus. It's a part of life and you look forward to it because it's all part of growing up. The kids take the bus to track and field to Hay River every year and those kids that come here for Super Soccer and other events. It hits home.”
There was a large banner made for the game which read “Today We Play For Humboldt” at one end of the rink, which will be coming down in the coming days and will be signed by all of the players.
MacLean said she'll be checking with the Broncos to see if they would like to have it and if not, she hopes it will find a home at the Multiplex.
“We don't want it to go to waste,” she said.