A travelling hockey jersey in honour of the Humboldt Broncos making its way around North America made a brief appearance in Arthur over Canada Day weekend.
The local hockey community was profoundly impacted by the April 6 crash that killed 16 people and injured 13 others, which is why Sheila Bauman of Arthur asked for the jersey to be displayed at the Get in Touch for Hutch walk/run on June 30.
A Tampa Bay Lightning fan and U.S. marine from Florida, Dan Gitzler personalized a camo Lightning jersey he had received as a birthday present. Gitzler told various media outlets he wanted to create something to honour the victims of the bus crash that claimed so many young lives.
He wanted the jersey to go to every game, so people volunteered to wear it at home and away games. It also attended the Stanley Cup final, the Memorial Cup and the Canalta Cup. It even attended a benefit concert for one of the surviving crash victims.
Every time it was passed along, more people signed their names on the jersey. It now has over 200 signatures.
Bauman reached out to Gitzler on twitter to see if the jersey could visit Arthur for the Get in Touch for Hutch walk/run. The event had already declared that $4 from every registration would be donated to the Humboldt SJHL Assistance Program to provide mental health assistance.
Its first stop was at Elora Public School for a picture with staff on the last day of the school year.
It was then displayed at the Get in Touch for Hutch event on June 30 with a banner and 16 hockey sticks to represent those who died in the crash. Over $1,000 was raised for the SJHL Assistance Program
It also visited a farm in Alma before heading off to St. Albert, Alberta for a memorial hockey charity game held in honour of the St. Albert team members who lost their lives in the crash.
“This is the point of the jersey, to wear it, to let it visit as many places as possible, take pictures and tweet and send our love to Humboldt,” said Bauman.
