Friday, February 21, 2003 Updated: February 23, 1:43 PM ET
Providence Bruins gather $9,500 in contributions
Associated Press
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Fans of the Providence Bruins donated
about $7,500 to a fund for the victims and families of the West
Warwick nightclub fire while the team and the AHL chipped in $1,000
each.
Adam Alper, a spokesman for the Boston Bruins' American Hockey
League affiliate, said the team discussed the possibility of
postponing the game Friday against the Lowell Lock Monsters, but
decided to hold the game as scheduled.
''It's better to do something and still have the game but still
recognize what happened last night,'' said Alper. ''We saw after
(Sept. 11) it can be beneficial for people to go to a game and get
away from it for a while.''
The donations were collected as fans entered the arena. Team
chief executive Jeff Fear and AHL president Dave Andrews announced
the donations between the first and second periods.
The team also announced that all of its players will donate
blood Tuesday.
At Brown University in Providence, a moment of silence was held
before the men's basketball game against Columbia.
A similar remembrance was held at Harvard before the Crimson's
game against Penn.
