More than 1,000 people packed the Coulson Arena side of the Alberni Valley Multiplex on April 12 to honour the victims of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash.
Port Alberni’s Junior A hockey team, the BCHL Alberni Valley Bulldogs, organized the vigil as an opportunity for the public to gather and pay their respects to the 16 people who died and 13 people who were injured in the Saskatchewan crash.
“It’s tough to find the words sometimes” Bulldogs’ head coach and general manager Matt Hughes said. “This is one of those things that hits home for a lot of us. Whatever you may be thinking about this…the thing I keep coming back to is this: if you have someone in your life, whether it be a family member or significant other that you love, make sure they know. Take advantage of it, because you never know when you’re not going to be able to.”
More than $5,500 was raised, which will go towards those affected by the crash, said Bulldogs’ director of business operations, Tali Campbell.