Logan’s legacy to benefit KidSport
Logan Boulet Fund donates more than $72K
Logan Boulet always gave. Thanks to the Logan Boulet Fund, that trend will continue for years to come. On Thursday afternoon at Winston Churchill High School — Boulet’s alma mater — it was announced The Logan Boulet Fund in support of KidSport Lethbridge/Taber had surpassed $72,000.
On hand to present a cheque for $72,302.75 to KidSport Lethbridge/Taber were Boulet’s parents, Toby and Berndine, who started the Logan Boulet Fund in honour of their son who was among the 16 killed in the Humboldt Broncos bus crash April 6.
For his parents, it was a fitting donation to honour the memory of their son, who not only rarely encountered a sport he didn’t like — ranging from hockey, curling, badminton, rugby and soccer — but also made sure to give back to the sporting community that supported him as well.
“The KidSport fund is a great fit for Logan because it’s giving back to the community and giving back to kids to have opportunities that Logan had that our family was able to provide for Logan, but other kids don’t always get that opportunity,” said Bernadine.
“We talked a lot with our kids, Logan and Mariko, about being volunteers and giving back to the community and give back to sport because they both received an immense amount of time and energy and loving care from a whole bunch of people and a whole bunch of organizations. So we try to have them always give back by coaching and by volunteering. Obviously Logan cannot do that anymore, but the KidSport fund will allow him to be able to give that back because of the generosity of a whole bunch of people who believed in giving back to the community.”
Boulet was accepted to the University of Lethbridge and planned to follow in his parents’ and sister’s footsteps of becoming a teacher.
“For Logan to have an opportunity to give his name back to other children is huge to us,” said Toby. “Logan wanted to be an elementary teacher, so these are the kids he’d probably be working with. So that is special for us.”
Of the funds received, KidSport Lethbridge/Taber will give $10,000 a year back into the community for kids unable to afford to play sports with the total of Thursday’s cheque guaranteeing donations for at least another seven years.
In the meantime, the Logan Boulet Fund continues to thrive.
In honour of Boulet’s No. 27, the Boulets will dedicate $2,700 into the fund for the next five years.
As well, Brian McNaughton — president of HyTech Production Ltd. — who purchased Boulet’s jersey for $20,000 at this year’s Val Matteotti Italian Open golf tournament, has guaranteed he’ll bring the jersey back in coming years to sell at the same amount or higher.
“We’ve already had businessman telling myself that they’re going outbid the $20,000 next year,” said Toby. “So just with those numbers alone the fund will continue to grow. And there will be other donations and other things happening in things we don’t even know about, that people are just donating money because they want to and that’s how we know the fund will grow. So I’m thinking it’ll be there for at least 15 years.”
“People have supported us in many ways,” added Bernadine. “They’ve sold T-shirts, they’ve had bottle drives, they’ve had silent auctions and have just given money. I know people who have said ‘Can we give money in the future or is this the only time we can give money?’ You can give money and the fund will exist for as long as there is a fund. But it’s just amazing how the generosity of people just wanting to give and to be a part of that way to honour Logan and to give back to the community in a way that is needed.”
KidSport Lethbridge/Taber executive Jon Dick works alongside Toby at Winston Churchill as a teacher and has been a long-time family friend.
“It’s amazing to see the outpouring of support that has come through the Logan Boulet Fund to KidSport,” he said. “Having known Logan and coached him, I know he had a true understanding and appreciation of what sports can do for young people, having parents that also coached and him being involved in sports over the years. I think he truly saw what he can do for people, the characterbuilding aspect of sports and being involved in those things, gaining some positive influences in coaching other players on the team as well. This will allow them to be a part of this instead of being a part of things that maybe aren’t quite as positive in their lives.”
Dick said Boulet was going to influence a huge number of people one way or another.
“Obviously we would’ve preferred to see it as a teacher and a coach in the future, but it’s amazing to see, in such a huge tragedy, all of the good that can come of it and all of the people he can influence through different ways, obviously with the organ donations and all the money coming through KidSport to help kids being involved in those sports.”
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