‘Big step towards healing’: former Humboldt Broncos president on season opener

HUMBOLDT (NEWS 1130) – It will be an entirely new lineup when the Humboldt Broncos take to the ice for their regular season opener Wednesday night, with the exception of two players.

Brayden Camrud and Derek Patter will dawn the Broncos jersey once again when the team steps on the ice at Elgar Petersen Arena.

This will be their first game since the team’s tragic bus crash that killed 16 people and injured 13 others.

RELATED: Update on Humboldt Broncos bus crash investigation expected today

The team’s past president says it will be an emotional night for everyone, but especially for Camrud and Patter, the only two survivors returning to the ice.

“They’re going to be obviously very much looking toward supporting each other,” Kevin Garringer says. “I know that there’s a friendship there that will remain forever obviously, a kinship in a lot of ways.”

WATCH: Broncos back on the ice

 

He says the two will absolutely be looked to for leadership from the rest of the team.

“They will be carrying every one of those people on that bus with them.”

Even though Garringer is calling it a “monumental task,” he says the team is ready to carry the torch.

RELATED: Humboldt Broncos fundraiser ends, with over $15 million raised

“They’re great people, they’re amazing young men,” he adds.

There will be a special ceremony to honour the victims and it will happen after the game rather than before, so it won’t be a distraction for the players.

Record-breaking GoFundMe

Following the horrific crash, Canadians and donors from around the world were quick to reach for their wallets.

Collectively people contributed $15-million to a GoFundMe campaign, and in the five months since a process has been underway to figure out how that money should be shared among those affected.

RELATED: Fees net hundreds of thousands of dollars off Humboldt Broncos fundraiser

The first round of payments came in the form of a $50,000 disbursements in August, which was given to each family which had a son on board the bus that day.

“Those funds have been dispersed, so that’s about 10 per cent of the total purse,” says Garringer. “We have a committee that’s been established and that’s a process of course that is legislated. We have legislation in this province that says this is how we can deal with this.”

WATCH: Canadians show their support for Humboldt with ‘Jersey Day’

 

Now a committee appointed by the board of the Humboldt Broncos Memorial Fund is consulting with family members to figure out a formula that makes sense for the rest of the money, approximately $13-million.

Under Saskatchewan law, the courts must oversee crowdfunding efforts to ensure money gets to where it was intended to go.

RELATED: Family of injured Humboldt Broncos player says GoFundMe should be split evenly

“This matter is before the courts, so it actually hopefully will make the process go even quicker,” says Garringer. “But one of the other thing that’s important is that that committee will make a recommendation to the board. But the committee is going to be listening very much to the families.”

Garringer says the board, and lawyers involved in the process, are doing their work pro bono to ensure those affected by the crash receive all of the funds, beyond the fees collected by GoFundMe and credit card companies.

-With files from Sportsnet650 

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