Thousands of Canadians have joined a viral campaign to express their sympathy and support to the families of the 15 victims of the fatal bus crash last Friday involving the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team in Saskatchewan.
Another fourteen people were injured, two of them critically, when the bus with 28 members of the team travelling to a tournament in neighbouring Nipawin collided with a semi-trailer at an intersection of two prairie highways near Teasdale, Sask., about 200 kilometres north of the provincial capital Regina.
Most of the victims were between the ages of 16 to 21 years old. Police are still investigating the cause of the crash.
The bus crash has touched a nerve in Canada and reverberated all across the country where hockey is the closest thing to organized national religion.
Ordinary Canadians, celebrities, politicians, and Canadian soldiers as far as northern Iraq are leaving their hockey sticks out on their porches and posting these haunting images on social media as part of the #SticksOutForHumboldt campaign to pay tribute to the young hockey players, coaches, volunteers and a local reporter who died in the tragic crash.
Canadians and international donors from more than 65 countries have also donated over $8.4 million dollars to a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for the families of the crash victims, according to the fundraising platform. That makes one of the five top grossing campaigns in GoFundMe’s history.
#SticksOutForHumboldt pic.twitter.com/qBxhoDwUZN
— KTH ?? (@KTH1956) April 11, 2018
So much more than just a game. Keeping the @HumboldtBroncos in our thoughts. ??#SticksOutForHumboldt #BroncosStrong pic.twitter.com/6pDNUchT7A
— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) April 10, 2018
From Iraq, our hearts are with you. #SticksOutForHumboldt #putyoursticksout pic.twitter.com/75US2da2DN
— CAF Operations (@CFOperations) April 10, 2018
If the boys are playing, Tyler needs to call the game.
And Brody will need to mark down stats.
If it’s not outside our apartment in the morning, I’ll assume the game was on.#HumboldtBroncos #humboldtstrong #sticksoutforhumboldt pic.twitter.com/yHI8goopaQ
— Lance Phillips (@lancephillipsTV) April 10, 2018
You are in our thoughts, #SticksOutForHumboldt. pic.twitter.com/hiejxwCxfI
— RCAF (@RCAF_ARC) April 10, 2018
This really hits home, hockey is family so I’m leaving my stick out tonight. The boys might need them, wherever they are. Rest easy boys. Love and prayers from Manchester, UK. #SticksOutForHumboldt #HumboldtStrong #HockeyFamily pic.twitter.com/tzkgZXY5py
— Connie Carey (@Connieflower13) April 9, 2018
This one’s for you, boys. #SticksOutForHumboldt pic.twitter.com/LfL7qsbKtT
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) April 10, 2018
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