The Boston Bruins are doing their part to assist Denna Laing in her recovery from the serious spinal injury she suffered during the Outdoor Women’s Classic at Gillette Stadium.
The Bruins announced Saturday that the team, the Jacobs family, the Boston Bruins Foundation and TD Garden have jointly pledged to donate at least $200,000 to the Denna Laing Fund.
“Over the past few weeks our organization has gotten to know Denna and her family, and we have all been inspired by their positive attitudes and Denna’s fighting spirit,” Bruins CEO Charlie Jacobs said in a statement. “As leaders in the New England hockey community, we want to help with Denna’s recovery and rehab, and this is our first step in what will be continuing support for the Laing family.”
The 24-year-old Laing was raised in Marblehead, Mass., and plays for the Boston Pride of the National Women’s Hockey League, and several other New England hockey players are joining the cause to support her.
Bruins center Patrice Bergeron is raffling off his personal TD Garden suite for Boston’s Jan. 26 matchup with the Anaheim Ducks, and Massachusetts natives Cory Schneider, Ryan Whitney, Jimmy Hayes and Kevin Hayes reportedly each have pledged to donate $1,000 for every $10,000 Boston-based website Barstool Sports raises through its sales of Laing T-shirts.
As of Friday, the site had raised more than $60,000.
“She’s from my hometown, and I’ve been following the story,” Schneider, who also hails from Marblehead and currently plays for the New Jersey Devils, said Friday, via NorthJersey.com. “I’m kind of busy on the road here, but I just wanted to find a way to help and do something. This is just one small way I saw guys are doing from the Boston area. Hopefully, it’s just the start, and maybe we can find a way to do some more for her.”
Those wishing to donate to Laing’s recovery effort can do so at dennalaing.org.
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@cupofchowdah
