It’s been a month since Mike Gould told the world he would give Kimberley’s junior hockey club $7.5 million, but so far, the team says it hasn’t seen a dime.
Gould, who grew up in Kimberley, made the announcement right before the Kimberley Dynamiters hosted Grand Forks at their civic centre on Oct. 13. The 700-strong crowd at the game was abuzz before the puck dropped, and then went wilder still when the home team won.
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It was a commitment heard round the country, and was the talk of the news cycle for the next few days, as media around the country broadcast the story.
Gould had said he was looking for a way to give back to the community he loves, and it occurred to him that with his love of hockey, it was a natural fit.
But this week, the Dynamiters’ board of directors put out a statement, saying that the “commitment promised” to them team and the club “has not been received.”
Curtis McLaren, president of the Kimberley Minor Hockey Association, also put out a statement saying the rumours of the large donation have prompted a downturn in donations from others.
“We felt that it needs to be clarified that there has been no money donated to the association or its members,” McLaren wrote. “We are asking the public for its continued support as we rely heavily on donations and grants to keep minor hockey fees affordable for our members.”
Reached by telephone, Gould responded to questions about the passage of time.
“I’ve had some issues, and I’ve had some family maintenance issues that I’ve kept quiet, but I guess everybody needs to know everybody’s business I guess,” Gould told Black Press.
“I understand where it’s coming from, but the Dynamiters will have their money within the next 10 days.”
A month earlier, he’d been reluctant to talk about the money to Black Press, but is quoted elsewhere saying it came from a lottery win and that he’d have it to the team in about a week.
Gould said he was going to host a party once he contributed the money, saying “everybody who wants to come out, or who’ve said something bad about me, come and have some crow pie.”
