Car dealership boosts Humboldt crash donation after hundreds of people leave hockey sticks

Hundreds of hockey sticks some old and some new line the building at Calgary's Jack Carter Chevrolet.

They act as a solemn reminder of the 16 lives lost in the Humboldt bus crash last week, but they're also a beacon of hope for hockey players of the future.

On Monday, the southeast Calgary dealership set out to donate $250for every hockey stick left outside the business. The dealership promised up to $10,000 toward the GoFundMe campaign for those impacted by the crash.

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Jay McKeen, the business' managing partner, said he was struck by images he had seen of people leaving hockey sticks out on their porches.

"I immediately put one out on my own porch and then I was thinking, 'is there something we can do as a business?We've got a big porch.'

"By the time I got to work, there was already 40 sticks here and through the day on Tuesday it just started gaining momentum."

By Tuesday morning, the company had already blown past its goal. Since then, it's raised the donation amount to $55,000.

MauricePlemel, owner of Colony Chevrolet in Humboldt, Sask., said the outpouring of support has been overwhelming.

"We went from, when it first happened, being in a state of absolute shock and disbeliefwe didn't know what to do. And then this outpouring started happening. It made us aware we're not alone.

"Instead of worrying, we can plan to do whatever we have to, to get through this."

Dealership employee Bob Allen dropped off his own stick knowing the city would unite in the face of a tragedy.

"I mean look at FortMcMurray, look at the B.C. wildfires, now look at the Humboldt tragedy," he said. "Canadians step up, I think Calgary more so than anywhere else."

Allen said what he found most heartwarming is a note on one of the sticks.

"We had a surprise this morning when we came in," he told CBC. "[The note says] 'Every stick needs a puck. Thoughtsand prayers for Humboldt.' And people were leaving a loonie on their sticks. A wonderful gesture."

More than 900 sticks had been dropped off as of Thursday and the dealership is hoping to collect 1,000 in total.

They won't be going to waste. The company said they'll be donated in the Humboldt Broncos' name to Comrie's Sports Equipment Bank, which supports KidSport Calgaryand The Hockey Foundation.

"These sticks in and of themselves have value," said McKeen. "Our hope would be that down the road a kid will have a stick, but it will be a Humboldt stick."

KidSportworks to remove barriers that preventCalgary-area children from participating in sports and The Hockey Foundation promotes hockey internationally in underserved areas around the world.

'Hockey is the fabric of so many communities'

Russell Gillespie, general manager ofComrie'sSports Equipment Bank, said the gesture was "just wonderful."

"One of the both sad and happy realities of a tragedy like this is it impacts people so heavily. They can't help but join forces together and come up with ways to make the world better and it has an instant impact on the community surrounding, and when it's big enough like this it has a ripple effect all across Canada."

Plemel said it's important to the Humboldt community that the donations are spreading the love of the game.

"Hockey is the fabric of so many communities. It has to carry on and it will," he said.

Gillespie said his organization will be sharing in passing on the team's story as the hockey sticks get distributed.

"These sticks have come from a really tender part of the heart, and have come with the best intention of creating a new start for someone else," he said.

Sixteen people were killed and thirteen injured when a semi-trailer collided with the junior hockey team's bus on a highway north of Tisdale, Sask., on Friday evening.

The GoFundMecampaign had raised over $10 million byThursday.

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