One of the first of many fundraisers for injured 11-year-old Cole Hoodicoff happened Jan. 15 at the Lion’s Head Smoke and Brew Pub in Robson, raising $3,350 for the boy and his family.
Local band subdiVISION, made up of Larry Relkoff, Phil Koochin, Brian McCreight and Kevan Ehman played from 2 p.m. until the pub closed for the evening.
“Me and Carly [Hadfield, co-owner of the pub] were actually away in Victoria, and the band phoned us up out of the blue and they were like, ‘can we do a fundraiser at the pub on Saturday?’ and we said of course you can,” said Troy Pyett, co-owner of the pub.
From there, 200 people attended throughout the afternoon and into the night.
Pyett said he and the Lion’s Head staff really appreciated the band taking the initiative in jumpstarting what has quickly become a community-wide effort to support Cole, who was airlifted to B.C. Children’s Hospital on Jan. 3 after a skiing accident at Red Mountain.
The money raised from that fundraiser and subsequent events will go towards supporting the family, including the boy’s parents, who have taken a leave of absence from their jobs to be with him in Vancouver.
The money will also help buy wheelchairs and other equipment for his return home.
“We at the Lion’s Head wish all the best for the family and hope for a speedy recovery,” Pyett said.