Humboldt Broncos begin process to distribute GoFundMe money

The Humboldt Broncos have started the legislated process to deal with money from the GoFundMe campaign.

Over $15 million was raised following the fatal crash on April 6 where 16 members of the team lost their lives. Others suffered life-changing injuries.

After a deduction of fees charged by GoFundMe, $14,676,373 will be distributed to those families.

But that money isn’t top of mind for those still suffering and grieving from this tragedy.

“It’s been six weeks. I picked my son up from the funeral home Wednesday, my cremated son, we divided him up into to ten little urns so his friends and family could have a piece of him,” said Scott Thomas, who lost his son Evan in the crash.

Saskatchewan is the only jurisdiction in Canada with a legislated process for the administration of funds raised through a public appeal. A Court of Queen’s Bench judge must be appointed and an advisory committee established who will decide the timeline for the allocation of funds and other procedural items. That work has already begun.

“Our focus remains, as it has from the very beginning, on supporting our families,” said Kevin Garinger, president of the Humboldt Broncos.

Garinger added the team and the organization remained united and will continue to be as they go forward in supporting the impacted families.

“Right from the start the families have had full confidence that the Broncos are doing every they can that’s in the best interests of all 29 of us,” Thomas said. “We’ve known they would do everything they can to ensure we are all treated fairly and consistently and so far they have been good that way.

– With files from Arielle Zerr