Scott Campbell
SHAWVILLE – The community came together at the Pontiac Junior’s hockey game, November 8, in support of #15 Junior player, Brett Nugent and his family. Nugent was involved in an unfortunate accident during the October 27 game against Perth, resulting in a severe spinal injury.
Scott Campbell
SHAWVILLE – The community came together at the Pontiac Junior’s hockey game, November 8, in support of #15 Junior player, Brett Nugent and his family. Nugent was involved in an unfortunate accident during the October 27 game against Perth, resulting in a severe spinal injury.
The ‘Pack The Barn’ fundraiser for Nugent had one of the highest attendance numbers for the Shawville arena in years. “If I had to guess, I would say it was somewhere between 1,000 to 1,200 people,” said Juniors President Ryan Barber. “I was very impressed and proud of the show of support. On top of everything it was nice to get a win,” he continued. The Juniors won, with a score of 4-3, against the Renfrew Timberwolves.
All admissions, and any donations made, were donated to Nugent, with an impressive total of $13,000 raised. In addition, ‘Brett 15’ shirt sales raised an additional $3,600 for the cause.
According to Nugent’s brother, Anthony, there were 200 t-shirts ordered and all were sold before the puck was even dropped, and an additional 400 shirts were ordered. “The generosity that people are showing is truly amazing,” said Anthony. “The night was very emotional and heart-warming and our family cannot thank everyone enough. It reminded us how lucky we are to be a part of such an incredible community,” he continued.
The support has already gone beyond the arena. The Great Canadian Cabin in Ottawa held a Small Town Saturday Shawville night event, incorporating a fundraiser for Brett, raising $1,500. In addition, Play It Again Sports is giving back the return on any used equipment they take in. The Perth Blue Wings had a ‘Fill the Rink for Brett’ game, November 15, raising over $12,000 in online donations.
The Pontiac Home Bakery donated all it’s proceeds from donut and coffee sales on November 14 and 15 as well. “Brett’s a hero to my son, Roy,” said bakery owner, Dan Duggan. He’s a great kid and it’s our way to show support,” explained Duggan.
“Brett, who is doing well, has a long stay at the hospital,” said Anthony. “He will need specialized equipment during his recovery and many other things that insurance doesn’t cover.” As for Brett himself, there is hope that the swelling subsides and that he will able to regain mobility.
