The Power Dodge Estevan Bruins fundraising efforts for the Humboldt Broncos coaches’ fund generated excellent support.
The Bruins announced at their Sportsman’s Dinner on Thursday night that they had raised $95,336 for the fund, which will benefit the families of Darcy Haugan and Mark Cross. They were two of the 16 people killed on the Humboldt Broncos bus last month after it was struck by a semi-trailer unit.
Haugan was the Broncos head coach and general manager. He played with the Bruins in 1995-96 and was a coach with the Bruins from 2000-2003. Cross played for the Bruins from 2008 to 2011.
A few days after the crash, the Bruins announced they wanted to raise $75,000 for the Broncos. The 50-50 during Game 3 of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League final between the Bruins and the Nipawin Hawks raised more than $25,000, and numerous other fundraisers took place.
The Bruins had already eclipsed their goal before Thursday night. But then the club received a Humboldt Broncos helmet donated by Jim Gardiner, a firefighter from Burnaby, B.C. The helmet was auctioned off, and sold for $7,500 to Nathan Jones.
Jones donated the helmet back, and it was sold to Chris Fichter for $2,500.
Then it was announced that the Bruins had secured another helmet, and it was sold for $2,000 to Michael Hengen, who played with Cross for the Bruins.
