Thousands partake in race honoring Gaudreaus

SEWELL, N.J. -- A fewer days aft brothers John and Matthew Gaudreau died erstwhile they were struck by a operator portion riding bicycles connected the eve of their sister Katie's wedding, household friends were visiting parents Guy and Jane astatine their location during a rainstorm. Looking extracurricular aft the skies cleared, they saw a treble rainbow that brought them immoderate momentary peace.

Since then, Jane Gaudreau had not gotten immoderate signs she attributed to her sons, truthful she sat successful their country Friday and asked them for immoderate divine involution to wide retired atrocious upwind successful clip for an lawsuit to grant their legacies. After a little scare of a tornado ticker the nighttime before, a rainbow appeared Saturday greeting astir an hr earlier the prima came retired for the inaugural Gaudreau Family 5K Walk/Run and Family Day.

"I was truthful relieved," Jane said. "I was like, 'Well, there's my sign.'"

Thousands attended the lawsuit astatine Washington Lake Park successful confederate New Jersey, a spot John and Matthew went hundreds of times arsenic kids and astir the country from Hollydell Ice Arena, wherever they started playing hockey. Roughly 1,100 radical took portion successful a locomotion oregon tally successful person, on with much than 1,300 virtually successful the U.S., Canada and astir the world.

"I deliberation it speaks to them arsenic a family, however adjacent they were and however everybody loved being astir them," said Ottawa Senators skipper Brady Tkachuk, 1 of a fistful of NHL players who were adjacent to the Gaudreaus and made a constituent to beryllium there. "You conscionable spot the enactment from this assemblage and from different players arsenic good that are present and traveled in. It conscionable says a batch astir Johnny, Matty, their bequest and this household arsenic a whole, however overmuch enactment they person due to the fact that they're specified astonishing people."

Along with honoring the NHL prima known arsenic "Johnny Hockey" and his younger member household and friends called Matty, the extremity of the lawsuit was to rise wealth for an accessible playground astatine Archbishop Damiano School wherever Jane and her girl Kristen work. It was a origin John and Matthew had begun to champion successful grant of their grandma Marie, who spent 44 years astatine the schoolhouse and died successful 2023.

It became their mother's task aft their deaths.

"Jane works each time with children with disabilities, and she knew however important it was for the playground to beryllium built," said household person Deb Vasutoro, who came up with the thought for a 5K. "The playground has been a task for, I think, 4 oregon 5 years, and determination conscionable ne'er was capable funding. When the boys passed and Jane needed a purpose, she thought, 'Let's physique the playground.' It was the cleanable matrimony of doing thing bully to grant the boys and seeing children laughter and smile."

The Rev. Allain Caparas from Gloucester Catholic High School, which the brothers attended and played hockey for portion increasing up successful Carneys Point, said raising funds for the playground is an hold of the interaction they had connected the community.

"They're continuing to marque a quality successful the lives of truthful galore others," Caparas said. "Johnny and Matthew lived their lives with purpose, and present we're celebrating that."

Social media filled with mentions from folks successful Columbus and Calgary, the NHL cities successful which John Gaudreau played, and arsenic acold distant arsenic Ireland and Sweden. Paul O'Connor, who has been choky with the Gaudreau household from lad Dalton being puerility champion friends with Matthew, couldn't bare retired his inbox due to the fact that helium kept getting notifications astir signups and donations.

"It conscionable keeps growing," O'Connor said. "And radical that couldn't beryllium here, they're doing a virtual (5K). If they can't bash either, they're conscionable throwing wealth astatine the cause."

Tears welled up successful the eyes of Guy and Jane arsenic they talked astir the event. His code to the assemblage was little and poignant astatine the aforesaid time.

"I'd similar to convey everybody for coming," Guy said aft moving the 5K. "It truly means a batch to Jane and the girls and the family. We miss the boys, and it truly means a batch for america to person you present to grant my boys. Thank you."

The oversea of radical archetypal successful the rainfall and past the sunshine included folks successful cogwheel from each crossed hockey. Tkachuk wore a "Johnny Hockey" hoodie with Gaudreau's sanction and No. 13 connected the back.

He handed sticks, collected from assorted vigils successful precocious August and aboriginal September, to contention winners on with chap players Erik Gudbranson, Zach Aston-Reese, Tony DeAngelo and Buddy Robinson.

"Our household wouldn't person missed this," Gudbranson said aft flying successful Friday nighttime pursuing a travel to Walt Disney World. "Hockey's a precise choky community. It's inactive a tragedy. We miss the boys."

The purpose is to clasp the lawsuit annually moving forward, perchance successful Calgary and Columbus.

"We thought this was specified a bully happening to grant the boys we privation to support it up," Jane said. "I conscionable deliberation each twelvemonth it'll conscionable get amended and better."