FREDERICTON, N.B. – The Maritime Junior Hockey League’s board of governors has established an emergency fund to support the victims of last week’s shootings in Nova Scotia that took 22 lives.
The MHL Nova Scotia Victims Fund has been created to directly give money back to the families, victims, and communities impacted by these events. All funds generated with this campaign will be held in trust until such a time that the full investigation is complete. A board of governors group will administer the fund.
The fund received an immediate boost with a $5,000 donation from the Maritime NHL’ers for Kids program.
"The MHL will continue the fund to support families and children down the road and I thank them for this heartwarming initiative,” Dallas Stars head coach and founding member of Maritime NHL’ers for Kids, Rick Bowness, said in a news release. “I offer my condolences to all the victims and their families during this time and ask all Canada to please keep them in your thoughts.”
Maritime NHL’ers for Kids was founded in 2000 by Bowness, several retired Maritime NHL hockey players, and a group of business leaders in the Halifax area. It’s a non-profit organization committed to helping ensure minor hockey continues to enrich the lives of Maritime boys and girls whose families face financial challenges. The group also showcases, through celebrity guests, the rich and deep pedigree of hockey stars from the Maritimes.
“We’re grateful for all of the support garnered by the MHL Nova Scotia Victims Fund this week,” MHL president Steve Dykeman said in the news release. “The donation by Maritime NHL’ers for Kids will go a long way toward our goal of helping the victims of these terrible events.”
In conjunction with the MHL’s Fredericton Red Wings, all proceeds from the team’s Thank You Campaign to honour frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic will go to the fund for 48 hours. After that point, the fund will remain online as an option for donation through the campaign.
The Thank You Campaign offers a package of three decals (one eight-inch house window decal and two six-inch vehicle decals) for $35, with all profits being donated to a charity, group, or team of your choice.
Truro Bearcats owner Stu Rath is helping kick off the MHL Nova Scotia Victims Fund by purchasing 200 complete Thank You Campaign packages with the Nova Scotia flag.
Fredericton Red Wings Booster Club president Josh Paul is also making a $1,000 donation to show support for the RCMP detachment in Enfield.
