Canadians are wearing hockey jerseys this Thursday to honour Humboldt families
As the city of Humboldt and the hockey community grieves over the tragic bus crash that claimed the lives of 15 members of the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team in rural Saskatchewan, people around the world continue to show their support.
The bus carrying 29 players and coaches, along with the driver, was hit by a semi-trailer as the team was on its way to Nipawin for a playoff game Friday night.
Fourteen people were also injured.
In the wake of the tragic accident, several online movements have been sparked in support of the team and their grieving families.
Since Sunday evening, thousands of images of hockey sticks left outside of people’s homes have been shared on social media, honouring the 15 lost lives.
The response has been overwhelming, with social media users from all corners of the earth sharing their own tributes under the hashtag #SticksOutForHumboldt and #PutYourSticksOut.
From Iraq, our hearts are with you. #SticksOutForHumboldt #putyoursticksout pic.twitter.com/75US2da2DN
— CAF Operations (@CFOperations) April 10, 2018
#SticksOutForHumboldt not only in the US and Canada but in Finland. For the boys 💚💛 pic.twitter.com/wxLYf9mHj7
— Vilma (@VilmaViitanen) April 9, 2018
The Hockey Hall of Fame’s tribute to the Humboldt Broncos. pic.twitter.com/B6nUYBf3H2
— Complete Hockey News (@CompleteHkyNews) April 10, 2018
A GoFundMe page for the victims and families impacted by the crash was also started and has quickly become one of the largest online fundraising campaigns in the world.
By Wednesday morning, more than $8.1 million had been donated by over 101,000 people in just four days, making it Canada’s most generous GoFundMe campaign ever.
For many hockey families, the crash hits close to home, which is why a group of hockey moms from Langley, BC, launched a campaign to show support for the victims and their families.
The group of moms has organized a national “Jersey Day” for Thursday, April 12. They want people to wear a sports jersey, take a photo of themselves and post it on social media with the hashtag #jerseysforhumboldt.
According to a Facebook page created for the event, over 5,000 people from across the country have said they will participate.
“We want to show our support to the families of Humboldt Broncos. They are currently going through a tragedy that no family or community should experience. As hockey families we are here for you!” reads the Facebook page.
“On Thursday, April 12, 2018, we will wear our jerseys to show our support and send our love.”
My brother Ed was and is a Wheat King. I was and am a Crusader. We will wear our old jerseys April 12th to honour and respect Humboldt. #prayersforhumboldt #jerseysforhumboldt pic.twitter.com/UetqKXa9Fx
— Mike Palichuk (@Konapower) April 8, 2018
To share your support, post a photo of your jersey on social media with the hashtag #JerseysForHumboldt.
Follow Channels and Categories