On April 6, a bus carrying members of the Humboldt Broncos, a junior hockey team from Saskatchewan collided with a transport truck, killing 16 people and injuring more than a dozen others.
In the days since the accident, the nation of Canada and global hockey community have rallied around those affected by this tragedy. A now-closed GoFundMe campaign raised more than $15 million for a memorial fund benefiting the victims and their families, making it one of the five largest fundraising efforts in the popular website’s history. Additionally, Canadians observed a national day of recognition, mourning and spirit on April 12 in honor of the Humboldt crash victims. I was so proud of our many colleagues who participated by wearing hockey jerseys to work, displaying their hockey sticks around our office signage, and posting on social media using the hashtag #HumboldtStrong.
Days later, following months of regulatory approval filings, Sedgwick finalized its acquisition of global loss adjusting, claims management and risk solutions firm Cunningham Lindsey and its subsidiaries, and I was honored to be named president of our combined operations across Canada and to lead the integration of our businesses here. Amid all the excitement, my thoughts kept returning to the tragedy in Saskatchewan—the victims, their families and the brave first responders—and I knew we had to do something more.
I am pleased to share that Sedgwick is donating $5,000 to the Royal University Hospital Foundation in solidarity with the victims of the Humboldt crash to support the Saskatoon medical center’s emergency, critical care and trauma needs. The team at RUH received and treated many of the accident victims, and they deserve our collective thanks for their tremendous response to this emergency situation.
I am proud to work for a company and lead a team that believes wholeheartedly in how much caring counts®. As we work to integrate Sedgwick, Vericlaim and Cunningham Lindsey across Canada, it is very meaningful that we can join together at this time in support of a common cause near and dear to our hearts.
Sedgwick is #HumboldtStrong!
Mike Holden, president, Canada, Sedgwick