Almost two weeks have passed since the fatal bus accident in Saskatchewan that cost 16 people their lives.
A bus full of hockey players and various staff were headed to a playoff game in Nipawin when the bus collided with a semi-trailer truck at the junction of Highway 35 and Highway 335 near Tisdale on Friday, April 6. The cause of the collision remains under investigation.
Drumheller has shown their support for the community in more ways than one since the tragic accident.
Drumheller Dragons Assistant Coach Brayden Klimosko was committed to the Humboldt Broncos for years as he was raised in Humboldt. He played and later became assistant coach of the very team affected by this tragedy. He spent four years with the team as assistant coach before becoming a Drumheller Dragons staff member.
“Obviously the feeling is still in shock. It’s really an unbelievable nightmare that you think is going to end and then you wake up and it isn’t,” said Klimosko.
The Humboldt native is overwhelmed by the amount of support given to the small town of 5,800 people.
“The response throughout Canada and the world has really been unbelievable and comparing Humboldt to Drumheller, they are very similar in size for population and everything and to see the media of all kinds and the support you are seeing at funerals has been overwhelming. It was really hard to believe the support that did come,” he said.
Klimosko attended the vigil in Humboldt on Sunday, April 8, where the nation watched and mourned the community’s loss. He explained that all the communities facilities like the Elgar Petersen Arena, the Uniplex Facility, and the Curling Rink were filled to capacity. Each one watching the vigil from a live stream.
“It was definitely a difficult day that you will remember for a very long time and the rest of your life. It was a tough vigil to get through.” said Klimosko. “The one thing I was really impressed by was all the alumni that came back from far and wide. Knowing that the accident just happened Friday night and for all those people to be back there Sunday night was pretty special.”
Freson Bros. raises funds for families
of crash victims
Freson Bros. locations in Alberta are showing their support by creating an education fund for Bronco’s Head Coach Darcy Haugan’s children and a regular fund for Parker Tobin’s family.
“We want to extend the opportunity for customers to donate their filled Smart Shopper cards where we will add $1.00 for every card donated to the funds,” said Freson Bros. Marketing Coordinator Tamara Evans. “Additionally, you are welcome to donate a dollar amount of your choice if you do not have filled Smart Shopper cards.”
The grocery company kicked off the donations by giving $25,000 to Haugan’s children education fund and $2,500 to the Parker Tobin fund.
“Our hope is that you can help bring awareness to these funds, so as a community we can make a difference for these families who have suffered an unimaginable tragedy,” she said.
Artist uses talents
for fundraiser
Drumheller resident Cody Makowecki took matters into his own hands to raise money for the hockey team.
He told The Mail that he did not have a lot of money to donate so instead he made a painting of one of the players with wings in honour of the Humboldt Broncos.
The painting was put up for auction on the local Drumheller Bidding Wars page on Facebook where Makowecki had an original goal of $100 but ended up raising $500. Marcie Schinnour of Allied Distributors was the lucky winner who took home the painting.
As of Tuesday, April 17, the team’s GoFundMe Page has reached over $13 million in donations which will go towards the newly founded non-profit organization called the Humboldt Broncos Memorial Fund Inc. A committee will be making recommendations on where to allocate the funds.
Online donations will close tonight (Wednesday, April 18) at midnight.
