Paul Bennett in a photo posted to his Facebook page.

Paul Bennett in a photo posted to his Facebook page.

Fundraiser launched for family of hockey coach killed in B.C. shooting

Online campaign aims to raise $10,000

  • Jun. 25, 2018 12:00 a.m.

UPDATE: As of Tuesday morning, more than $16,000 had been donated to the gofundme campaign, and thegoal had been raised to $50,000.

An online effort is underway to help the family of Paul Bennett, the man shot and killed in Cloverdale Saturday.

A gofundme campaign (www.gofundme.com/paul-bennett-in-memory) launched the next day, with an aim to raise $10,000.

As of 11:45 a.m. Monday, $1,350 had been donated.

“Paul Bennett, was a wonderful & generous man, who would always have a smile and a positive word to say to lift your spirits or make you laugh,” reads a statement on the gofundme webpage.

“I want to give his friends, colleagues, other HCP and the community a chance to honour Paul. And help his family when they are going to need it most… if this tragedy can happen to a wonderful man, father, husband and family guy such as Paul. It surely can happen to anyone of us at any given moment in time.”

Bennett – a married father of two, and an operating-room nurse department manager at Peace Arch Hospital – died in hospital, following a brazen daylight shooting in the 18200-block of 67A Avenue at around 4 p.m. Saturday.

Officials with the RCMP’s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team have said police believe “this was not a random incident.”

Nelson Star