Tonight, shortly after I finished writing the next article in our Top 25 Under 25 series, Dale shared a link in our writers’ Discord channel, which had made the rounds among CBJ fans on Twitter:
Local seventh grader Quinn Halstead, a member of one of the AAA Ohio Blue Jackets teams, is undergoing surgery today to remove a brain tumor. Her aunt who organized the GoFundMe says it does not appear to be cancer, but nevertheless this is a major procedure with a trying recovery. Naturally, all of us here will pray for a successful procedure and complete recovery, and we encourage you to join us. Quinn, if you’re strong enough to be a hockey player you’re strong enough to get through this.
Beyond that, I want to point out what you see on the donor list on that page. Look at the top donors and right away you see Elvis Merzlikins and Kirill Marchenko with $2,000 apiece. Zach Werenski, Sean Monahan, and Jack Roslovic follow close behind with $1,500 each. Boone Jenner, Jessica Nash (Rick’s wife), James van Riemsdyk, and John Davidson each donated $1,000. Continue down the list and you see Dante Fabbro, Jake Christiansen, Justin Danforth, Zach Aston-Reese, Charlie Coyle, and Cole Sillinger. There are also members of the media, like Dylan Tyrer, Jeff Svoboda, and Aaron Portzline. There are current and former members of the coaching staff and front office including Chris Clark, Josef Boumedienne, Aron Augustitus, and Josh Flynn.
This list is by no means comprehensive, but you get the idea. At the time of writing, there has been $28,738 raised and a significant chunk is from current or former members of the organization donating and/or sharing the link.
Hockey players are making millions each year, so chipping in 3-4 figures shouldn’t be difficult, but that’s not the point. The point is that a member of the Columbus hockey community was in need, a few people got tagged on social media, and somehow it spread like wildflower among the players and staff. Whether it’s people no longer here, like JVR, or people who have barely unpacked, like Coyle, the response was the same: someone needs help? Ok, say no more.
This is certainly not something unique in sports, but nevertheless I think it’s worth taking a moment to recognize. It is all too easy to focus on all of the bad things going on in the world. At the same time, while sports are a welcome diversion from this, some may criticize it as being too trivial, in light of everything else going on.
First, I think having a diversion is a healthy thing. Your body and your mind needs rest from time to time. If that means spending two hours watching people hit a piece of frozen rubber with sticks, then so be it. Second, the fame and fortune created by athletic success can be put towards societal good. It’s obviously a PR move to have players spend a day doing charity work, such as packing food at a food bank or building furniture, or visiting a hospital or hosting kids with cancer, but these moments do make a difference in peoples’ lives.
If you’re an elder millennial like myself or older, you likely have fond memories of watching Mr. Rogers growing up. Fred Rogers had a particularly well-known quote: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'” He said this to help the children watching his show to deal with bad things happening around them. But it’s also a call to action for us as we become adults. It is on us to be those helpers when we can be.
Today (Friday, August 29) marks the one-year anniversary of the tragic death of Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew. If you haven’t already, take the team to read this excellent article by The Athletic‘s Peter Baugh, detailing how the family has coped over the last year. One way they have responded is through charity. In May, the Gaudreaus hosted a 5K in their hometown, to raise money for a playground for special needs children at the school where Johnny’s mother and sister work. After a massive impromptu memorial sprang up on the steps of Calgary’s arena, the Flames respectfully dealt with the left-behind mementos by donating them to charities or donating the value of items that could not be re-used.
I still can’t make sense of why John and Matty died. They should still be here, being loving fathers and husbands and being a positive force in the lives of those around them. But, tragedies happen anyway and the least we can do is find a way to fight back by making the world a better place for those who survive. Should this girl, Quinn, have to face brain surgery at 12 years old? No, that’s not fair. But if there’s a way to help her and her family, then it’s a good thing to do what one can, if one is able.
While we eagerly await another Blue Jackets hockey season, and we hope for continued improvement towards playoff contention, let us appreciate that the organization fosters a culture that encourages giving back to the community. Let’s also remember that hockey is a good thing if it brings this community together. We can cheer for the same team no matter who we are, and we can be there for anyone else who is part of this community of fans.