HUMBOLDT — The HumboldtStrong Community Foundation has donated more than $3.3 million of the $4.2 million it has collected to date.
Created a week after the Humboldt Broncos crash, the foundation is tasked with stewarding donated funds for the benefit of the players, employees, families, volunteers, emergency services personnel, teams, related organizations and communities affected by the crash and its aftermath.
“We know there’s no such thing as getting it perfect, but we have tried our best to get it right,” said Darrin Duell, the foundation’s chair. “Priority one was to be there for any of the 29 families who needed financial help.”
| Families: Health needs | $1,000,000 |
| Families: Accommodation, lost wages, transportation and home modifications | $250,000 |
| Scholarships for 2017-18 Broncos | $300,000 |
| Funeral and other expenses for team | $350,000 |
| Scholarships for 2017-18 Nipawin Hawks | $25,000 |
| STARS | $155,000 |
| Ronald McDonald House | $50,000 |
| OSI-CAN (Mental Health) | $25,000 |
| Community of Humboldt | $800,000 |
| Community of Melfort | $100,000 |
| Community of Tisdale | $100,000 |
| Community of Nipawin | $100,000 |
| Community of Zenon Park | $50,000 |
| $3,305,000 |
There is $1.9 million going towards the needs of the families, which includes help for health costs, home modifications, accommodation costs, transportation costs and lost wages, as well as scholarships for the members of the 2017-18 Broncos.
“Then we needed to recognize the incredible first responders, many of them volunteers, and others whose support we’ll never forget,” Duell said.
There is $1.4 million going towards the community of Humboldt; the communities of the Tisdale, Melfort, Nipawin and Zenon Park first responders; the Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society; OSI-CAN, which helps first responders with the mental health aftereffects of traumatic incidents; Ronald McDonald House; and scholarships for the members of the Nipawin Hawks at the time of the crash.
“We’ve asked that all of these gifts be put to use in a way that not only honours all those lost and injured, but also the overwhelming response from the public,” Duell said.
A full accounting of the foundation’s finances is expected to be made public after an audit is completed.
