When the Houston Luckies won Saturday’s benefit game against the Burns Lake Braves, the scoreboard read 7-2 Luckies but the two teams scored over $4,200 for the Burns Lake Tragedy fund.
Ticket sales, a puck toss and a popular paper airplane contest brought in $3700. A 50/50 raffle turned in into a 100 per cent benefit after winner Kyle Thomson donated his share back to the fund.
The game began on a somber note as fans and players held a moment of silence for those who lost their lives in the Jan. 20 explosion and fire at Babine Forest Products. Houston Mayor Bill Holmberg dropped the puck for the game, shortly after annoucning that Finning Canada had donated a further $10,000 to the Burns Lake fund.
A good cause did not mean the game was short on hits or intense play.
Fans got a tighter game than the final score showed, as the Luckies picked up a few goals on lucky bounces midway through the third.
Aside from a paper-planes contest that saw dozens of kids take aim at on-ice prizes, the game highlight was a stacked pad save by the Luckies goaltender after a Burns Lake breakaway toward the end of the second.