"Money Won't Bring Those Kids Back!" - Well No Shit! You’re Absolutely Right. That's Not The Point.

When a tragedy like the Humboldt Broncos bus crash happens people react.

Whether that be to express their feelings to anyone who will listen, hug their kids a little tighter, light a candle, reflect in silence, or organize a fundraiser, because yes, many times people will immediately donate to ‘the cause’.

The Humboldt Broncos tragedy has inspired many people to donate to the survivors and families left behind, through a Go Fund Me account.

Of course, as with anything in life, along with the support comes the negativity.  Not everyone agrees with the masses continuing to donate to the families.  And since everyone is entitled to their opinion, to those people, I say … ‘Fine, don’t donate.'

Just walk away, from the cause, and the keyboard.

Because there is one statement I keep seeing pop up in response to the Go Fund Me and I have seen it more than once, in various social media posts … ‘Money will not bring those kids back.’ 

If there’s one statement, with respect to the fundraising, that gets my temper flared, and my blood boiling, it’s that one statement, ‘Money will not bring those kids back.’ 

Well no shit, Sherlock! You’re absolutely right.  What a profound deduction!

Money will NOT bring any of those people back.  But instead of making an insensitive, obvious, and simply rude comment about it in an online forum, why not take a second and look at this from the family’s perspective.

Will the money bring their child/spouse/loved one back?  Of course not.

THAT’S NOT THE INTENT!!!!  But of course some keyboard warriors (upset at the amount raised) feel the need to point that obvious fact out anyway, to anyone who will listen.

To those people, I simply ask them to think of this from a parent’s perspective … your child is killed unexpectedly in a horrible way.  Do you think you really want to have to worry about going back to work next week … or the week after … or EVEN … the week after that?

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that most likely ‘work’ is the LAST thing on their minds.

However, unless they have an understanding employer, who offers time off for bereavement, and perhaps even offers extra time, over and above the standard 1-2 weeks that most companies give, then that parent, ready or not, is going to have to go back to work to ensure the bills get paid, heat and lights stay on, food is put on the table and the rest of the family survives.

That’s just the way it is.

Most of us have to work to live, and I’m guessing some of those Humboldt Broncos parents are in the same boat. They work.


Now … imagine not having to worry about whether or not you HAVE to return to work immediately after the death of your child.

You have time to breathe.  And process.  And grieve.


Not everyone grieves in the same way.

Sure, some will WANT to return to the office (or whatever their office equivalent might be) and simply THROW themselves into their work.

To forget.

It's how they cope.

But others … they will need time. 

Time to grieve the loss of their child/spouse/loved one.

Time to process what happened and time to figure out how to move forward.

THAT’S what these families can use that Go Fund Me money for.

Something they can’t buy.

Time. 

Time to grieve.  And time to heal.

Now … how much is YOUR time worth?  Care to put a price on your grief?  Or your child?


Many Canadians, and others around the world have come together to support these families and first responders.

Whether it be to wear their Jersey’s on April 12^th, or hold fundraisers at their schools, within their sports teams or places of employment. 

I personally wanted to show my support because I’m a parent of former athletes, a basketball Mom who had to travel to games in the shittiest of Canadian weather, and I’m also from Bathurst, New Brunswick.

My hometown faced our own similar tragedy only ten years ago, when 7 players from the high school basketball team along with the coach’s wife died and four others were injured, when the van they were traveling in from an away game hit a semi, and they became forever known as the Boys in Red.

It takes not only the families but also the entire community TIME to get past a tragedy of this magnitude.

And unfortunately the old saying is far too true … time is money.


No … the money in the Go Fund Me won’t bring those kids back, but it can give the families time.

Time.

THAT’S the point.


I have not donated to the Go Fund Me.

I also didn’t have a jersey to wear on April 12^th, but when I was at Tim Hortons that day and saw the baker bring out a new tray of Humboldt Broncos donuts (with all proceeds going to the families)  … I took them all, and brought them into work for my co-workers.

That was MY way of showing support, and raising funds for those parents and families.

Last weekend, on my way through the drive-thru, I bought another 10 Humboldt Broncos donuts, and asked the workers to ‘give them out to 10 random kids who come through the drive-thru’.

Not only did this contribute to the funds being raised for the families, but after speaking to the same drive thru worker yesterday, I know that the kids who were given the free donuts were all VERY excited to receive them.

Not only did I try to help the #HumboldtStrong, I made kids in my own community smile, too, as a result of helping to raise money that, ‘will never bring those kids back’.

I know it won’t bring them back.

That’s not the point.

Reaching out to those in need, solidarity in human kindness, helping ... those are the points.

So, to those people who insist on repeating this insensitive line to anyone who will listen, I respectfully ask you to just back off!



Canada came together as a community last week, and wrapped our broken hearts and weary arms around these Humboldt families, and for you people to complain about how much money is being raised for them, or make comments like "money won't bring those kids back" … may you never go through a tragedy and have to rely on the goodness of others to help you get through your own personal hell.

By the way, if you took the time to look into it, you would find out exactly what that money will be going towards ...  



"The mission of the HumboldtStrong Community Foundation will be to support Humboldt Broncos’ players, employees, families, and volunteers, as well as first responders and emergency services personnel, teams, athletes, related organizations and communities affected by the crash of the Humboldt Broncos team bus on April 6, 2018, and the aftermath thereof." - Taken from the Humboldt Broncos Go Fund Me page.



Now, go buy a donut.

#HumboldtStrong #Broncos #CanadaProud #FamiliesOfAthletes

K.