The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) announced Monday that $1.4 million has been raised through individual and corporate donations for the SJHL Assistance Program.
The program was launched just days after the Humboldt Broncos bus crash, to support the mental health of players, coaches, families and volunteers across the league. The crash on April 6 killed 16 players and staff as well as injured 13 others.
“Being able to provide them an avenue to seek assistance sooner than later … is going to be the point to allow you to become better. Becoming better, I have no timeline on that, nobody does but I think the sooner you can seek it, the sooner you’ll have a better chance of recovering,” SJHL president Bill Chow said.
He added people have been making use of the assistance program and the SJHL is looking at creating long-term assistance through this program as well.
Co-op was one of the first to make a donation to the program, and to date has raised $768,000.
“Out of tragedy we often find our way forward as a community, that’s what co-operatives have always been about. The co-operatives really stepped up as organizations but also through their customers and members,” Federated Co-operatives Limited CEO Scott Banda said.
“We wanted to be part of helping a broader community in the hockey word deal with this tragedy.”
Those looking to access services can contact the Canadian Red Cross at sjhlsupport@redcross.ca or call Homewood Health at 1-866-459-4805.