The DRI Foundation partners with non-profit organizations in communities impacted by disasters to provide help where it is needed most. But not all disasters are natural disasters, as evidenced by a tragic accident in Canada that led us to make a donation focused on first responders.
An April 6, 2018 bus crash in Saskatchewan, Canada, killed 16 and injured 13 – most teenagers from the Humboldt Broncos, a junior ice hockey team that plays in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. The team had been traveling by bus when a semi-trailer failed to yield at a flashing stop.
The devastating crash was supported by myriad first responders. Three helicopters and four air ambulance planes were loaned from various cities and companies to help transport the most critically wounded. The Saskatchewan Health Authority, which oversees hospitals and ambulance services in the province, encouraged employees affected to access counseling available, as many of the first responders had ties to the accident. Jessica Brost, a paramedic from Nipawin stated that the crash was “just too close to home, especially in Saskatchewan, where everyone is either a billet, obsessed with hockey, or the parent of a teenage hockey player.”
In support of first responders, DRI Foundation made a $500 donation to TEMA Canada, an organization that provides assistance to first responders through research, education, training, and peer and psychological support.