Amid grief is an outpouring of support for victims of the Humboldt crash

HUMBOLDT. SK. (NEWS 1130) – There has been an unprecedented amount of support for the victims and their families following Friday afternoon’s crash of a junior hockey team’s bus and a tractor-trailer.

A GoFundMe account set up shortly after the crash on Friday gained momentum quickly, amassing over $3.5 million in less than two days. The money will benefit the victims’ families.

The initial goal was to raise $10,000, however, that amount has been increased throughout the weekend as Canadians from coast to coast open their hearts and their wallets.

LISTEN: Saif Kaisar with our sister station 1310 NEWS speaks with organizer Cailin Hergott

 

Cailin Hergott is one of the organizers behind the page and she says she’s not related to any of the victims directly, but she wanted to do something to help.

“When you live in a town of only 6,000 people, it’s not six degrees of separation, it’s only one or two. We’ve seen all these boys everywhere and we’ve heard their names and we know who they are when there’s not a game day and we have a snowfall, they’re out there shoveling people’s snow off the driveways. They’re in our schools, volunteering with the kids and they’re everywhere. These boys make it a point — they’re not just here for hockey, they’re part of the community and they’re working in it and supporting everybody.

She describes the chilling moments she knew something was wrong.

“I live on the east edge of Humboldt, right along the highway. I saw some police go out [and] didn’t think much of it because it happens a lot. And then… I guess about an hour later things started popping up on Facebook that the game was cancelled and I don’t know why, for whatever reason, I was thinking it must have been the other team.”

The Broncos were on their way to take on the Nipawin Hawks. The Hawks originally posted a message to social media to let people know that night’s game was cancelled.

“Basically, we started to read the same news stories that everybody else in Canada were reading. When they announced there were 14 dead that was the first time I knew that number the same as everybody else in Canada.”

She adds the speed at which information and condolences were being shared online was the motivation behind creating the GoFundMe page.

“A friend and I, we know one of the team members because he’s a type 1 diabetic and we’re both on our local type 1 community team and that’s how we bond. She had said, ‘It’s just tragic’ and I replied to her, ‘You know, we’ve got to do something.’ So she personally messaged me and said, ‘What do you mean we have to do something?’ And I said, ‘I don’t know, I’m just pacing. I feel like I need to do something, there’s nothing we can do standing here but I feel so helpless.’ And she said, ‘What if we do a GoFundMe?'”

An idea, Hergott thought was brilliant.

“If we get a couple grand to help with parking and meals at the hospital for the families, great and if it gets bigger, whatever, but at least I’ll feel like I’m doing something.”

Hergott adds her friend filled out the information and suddenly the online fundraising campaign took off. “It’s blowing me away. It’s unreal. And I feel if we hadn’t done it, somebody else would have.”

She says they’ve been overwhelmed by the support shown by people nation-wide as the country struggles to come to grips with the tragedy.

“I really hope it can pay for funerals and flights and long-term care in whatever way they need it. It’s amazing. I’m so grateful that it’s still going on Twitter and people are still putting towards it because who knows how long these boys will need help and, I mean, our community will never be the same.”

While holding back tears, Hergott describes the community as an “eerie quiet” as friends and family begin the process of slowly trying to rebuild their lives.