Latest news with #GaudreauFamily
Associated Press
3 days ago
- General
- Associated Press
Thousands take part in Gaudreau Family 5K walk and run in honor of brothers John and Matthew
SEWELL, N.J. (AP) — A few days after brothers John and Matthew Gaudreau died when they were struck by a driver while riding bicycles on the eve of their sister Katie's wedding, family friends were visiting parents Guy and Jane at their home during a rainstorm. Looking outside after the skies cleared, they saw a double rainbow that brought them some momentary peace. Since then, Jane Gaudreau had not gotten any signs she attributed to her sons, so she sat in their room Friday and asked them for some divine intervention to clear out bad weather in time for an event to honor their legacies. After a brief scare of a tornado watch the night before, a rainbow appeared Saturday morning about an hour before the sun came out for the inaugural Gaudreau Family 5K Walk/Run and Family Day. 'I was so relieved,' Jane said. 'I was like, 'Well, there's my sign.'' Thousands attended the event at Washington Lake Park in southern New Jersey, a place John and Matthew went hundreds of times as kids and around the corner from Hollydell Ice Arena, where they started playing hockey. Roughly 1,100 people took part in a walk or run in person, along with more than 1,300 virtually in the U.S., Canada and around the world. 'I think it speaks to them as a family, how close they were and how everybody loved being around them,' said Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk, one of a handful of NHL players who were close to the Gaudreaus and made a point to be there. 'You just see the support from this community and from other players as well that are here and traveled in. It just says a lot about Johnny, Matty, their legacy and this family as a whole, how much support they have because they're such amazing people.' Along with honoring the NHL star known as 'Johnny Hockey' and his younger brother family and friends called Matty, the goal of the event was to raise money for an accessible playground at Archbishop Damiano School where Jane and her daughter Kristen work. It was a cause John and Matthew had begun to champion in honor of their grandmother Marie, who spent 44 years at the school and died in 2023. It became their mother's project after their deaths. 'Jane works every day with children with disabilities, and she knew how important it was for the playground to be built,' said family friend Deb Vasutoro, who came up with the idea for a 5K. 'The playground has been a project for, I think, four or five years, and there just never was enough funding. When the boys passed and Jane needed a purpose, she thought, 'Let's build the playground.' It was the perfect marriage of doing something good to honor the boys and seeing children laugh and smile.' The Rev. Allain Caparas from Gloucester Catholic High School, which the brothers attended and played hockey for while growing up in Carneys Point, said raising funds for the playground is an extension of the impact they had on the community. 'They're continuing to make a difference in the lives of so many others,' Caparas said. 'Johnny and Matthew lived their lives with purpose, and now we're celebrating that.' Social media filled with mentions from folks in Columbus and Calgary, the NHL cities in which John Gaudreau played, and as far away as Ireland and Sweden. Paul O'Connor, who has been tight with the Gaudreau family from son Dalton being childhood best friends with Matthew, couldn't empty out his inbox because he kept getting notifications about signups and donations. 'It just keeps growing,' O'Connor said. 'And people that couldn't be here, they're doing a virtual (5K). If they can't do either, they're just throwing money at the cause.' Tears welled up in the eyes of Guy and Jane as they talked about the event. His speech to the crowd was brief and poignant at the same time. 'I'd like to thank everybody for coming,' Guy said after running the 5K. 'It really means a lot to Jane and the girls and the family. We miss the boys, and it really means a lot for us to have you here to honor my boys. Thank you.' The sea of people first in the rain and then the sunshine included folks in gear from all across hockey. Tkachuk wore a 'Johnny Hockey' hoodie with Gaudreau's name and No. 13 on the back. He handed sticks, collected from various vigils in late August and early September, to race winners along with fellow players Erik Gudbranson, Zach Aston-Reese, Tony DeAngelo and Buddy Robinson. 'Our family wouldn't have missed this,' Gudbranson said after flying in Friday night following a trip to Walt Disney World. 'Hockey's a very tight community. It's still a tragedy. We miss the boys.' The aim is to hold the event annually moving forward, potentially in Calgary and Columbus. 'We thought this was such a good thing to honor the boys we want to keep it up,' Jane said. 'I just think each year it'll just get better and better.' ___ AP NHL:
CBS News
3 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Over 1,000 people support Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau's family fundraiser with 5K run in South Jersey
The Gaudreau family is getting closer to their goal to fund an adaptive playground the late Johnny and Matthew wanted to see built in their home state of New Jersey. Over 1,000 people, a sign of that progress, showed out on Saturday for the Gaudreau Family 5K Run, Walk and Family Fun Day at Washington Lake Park in Gloucester County. Since Johnny and Matthew were killed by a suspected drunk driver near their home in Salem County, their family, including parents Jane and Guy, have been working to honor their legacy. The runners came to support the Gaudreau family during this tough time and to help raise money for a cause thats close to the family's hearts. A little rain didn't stop anyone. "It was emotional. It was great. I mean, earlier we had a rainbow which was a pretty neat blessing for the day," one runner said. Guy Gaudreau was among the runners in the field. He put on a brave face for the camera but admitted the days are still really hard for their family. "I get halfway and i wanna quit, and the boys voices get in my head and say, 'Dad you're not a quitter,'" Guy said. "Because that's not how I taught them, not to be quitters, but it's really emotionally draining for my wife and I." The family organized the event along with members of the hockey community. Jane previously told CBS News Philadelphia that Johnny and Matthew volunteered at Archbishop Damiano School in Westville and that the school is important to their family — that's where the playground would be built once funded. ADS, where Jane has worked for over 40 years, is a nonprofit school serving over 135 students with disabilities. But the playground is crumbling and not accessible to many in its current state. The event also included an auction of NHL memorabilia including signed jerseys from players around the league. "It's pretty incredible how two young men that my wife and I raised are that incredibly popular throughout the world, right?" Guy Gaudreau said. The family fun extended long after the running events were over. The day should get the family closer to their $600,000 goal, after entering Saturday having raised $400,000. contributed to this report.
CTV News
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Run to honour Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau
Jane and Guy Gaudreau will tell us about the 1st Annual Gaudreau Family 5K Run Walk and Family Day Event taking place next weekend
CBS News
23-05-2025
- CBS News
Matthew and Johnny Gaudreau's family closer to reaching goal for NJ playground brothers wanted built
Gaudreaus plan Family Fun Day in NJ to benefit playground Johnny and Matthew wanted to build Gaudreaus plan Family Fun Day in NJ to benefit playground Johnny and Matthew wanted to build Gaudreaus plan Family Fun Day in NJ to benefit playground Johnny and Matthew wanted to build One South Jersey community is preparing to come together to celebrate the lives of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, the brothers who were killed by a suspected drunk driver in Salem County last August. The first Gaudreau Family 5K Run, Walk and Family Fun Day is set for the end of May, and the Gaudreau family is hoping for a big turnout. The Family Fun Day takes place May 31 at Washington Lake Park in Washington Township, Gloucester County, and promises food, games, face painting, dance performances and raffles. Johnny and Matthew's mother, Jane Gaudreau, stopped by CBS News Philadelphia to talk about the event. Jane said it's meant to celebrate her sons' lives and their commitment to give back to their community. The Gaudreau family will honor that mission by directing all event proceeds to the creation of an adaptive playground at Archbishop Damiano School in Westville, New Jersey. Dancers from Jane and Katie Gaudreau's All Star Dance studio perform in CBS Philadelphia's Great Hall. "The boys loved children, the boys loved fun," Jane says. "Archbishop Damiano School is a place where the boys had volunteered before, and it's a big part of our family life." ADS is a nonprofit school that provides services to more than 135 students with disabilities. The current playground at the school is crumbling and not accessible to all students. The school community is also a second family for the Gaudreaus. Jane has worked at the school for more than 40 years. John and Matthew volunteered there as kids. And even as a superstar in the NHL, John never forgot his roots: he started fundraising for the playground years ago. ADS is getting closer to raising the $600,000 needed for the adaptive playground. Jane says the school recently secured several more sizable donations. Dancers from Jane and Katie Gaudreau's All Star Dance studio perform in CBS Philadelphia's Great Hall. CBS News Philadelphia The Gaudreau family also says the upcoming event is a way to thank the community for its support. Katie Gaudreau, Johnny and Mathew's sister, joined her mother at CBS News Philadelphia. Dancers from Katie and Jane's All Star Dance studio will perform during the event. They visited our Great Hall during our morning shows to bust a move. "They really have been there for our entire family this year," Katie said. "I'm just so thankful for them, and I'm excited to celebrate them and everything they've done for us." The Gaudreau Family 5K Run, Walk and Family Fun Day will take place at Washington Lake Park on May 31, from 8 a.m. until noon. The run and walk are already sold out, but the Family Fun Day is free and open to all. There is also a sports memorabilia auction benefiting the playground and featuring several signed hockey jerseys, including an autographed Johnny Gaudreau NHL All-Star Game jersey and a signed Flyers jersey. You can find more information, including the event schedule and sponsorships, on A rendering shows how a new adaptive playground could look at Archbishop Damiano School in New Jersey. CBS News Philadelphia
