"To go from being a single mother raising her two kids without much support to being showered with it — she's just beside herself that all these people care." — Isabella Brouse
![Single mom Hayley Peeling and her two children, Leo (5) and August (2), lost most of their belongings in a house fire on Friday, March 24, 2023. An avid Vancouver Canucks fan, the community around the NHL team has rallied to her aid donating food and supplies to the Port Moody family. Photo: Hayley Peeling [PNG Merlin Archive]](https://smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital/vancouversun/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/canucks-fire-4_276654338.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&h=216)
A Port Moody single mother who lost most of her belongings in a house fire on Friday has been overwhelmed by the Vancouver Canucks’ community coming to her aid.
Hayley Peeling was flooded with food, clothing, toiletries and toys at her hotel room Saturday afternoon — all from people she’s never met.
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While those stepping forward with donations do not know the mother personally, they are all part of Canucks’ vocal fan base on Twitter.
“Hayley is shocked,” said Isabella Brouse, a Lower Mainland fan who befriended Peeling last year after the two bonded online over the team.
“To go from being a single mother raising her two kids without much support to being showered with it — she’s just beside herself that all these people care.”
Brouse is currently organizing a drive of physical donations for the family, whose home was made uninhabitable by the blaze.
The contagion of generosity sparked Friday night after Peeling posted something out of the usual on her feed.
“Great day for my house to go up in flames,” she wrote in a Tweet containing a picture of her kitchen, which was seen charred and burned.
Vancouver resident Kevin Madigan immediately took notice.
“We’ve never met it in person,” said Madigan. “But we have a lot of the same opinions on things like how amazing Andrei Kuzmenko is.”
Within hours, the fellow fan set up a GoFundMe fundraiser for Peeling and her children Leo, 5, and August, 2.
“Hey Canucks Twitter, one of our own urgently needs donations,” Madigan wrote in a Tweet.
“Peeling and her two young children lost most of their possessions in a house fire, and desperately need socks, shoes, blankets, toys, and food — please donate what you can.”
Among the many belongings that were burned in the fire were Peeling’s beloved Canucks jerseys.
By Saturday afternoon, more than $6,400 had been raised online for the family.
Madigan thinks the flurry of donations is a result of new vigour that has been injected into fans since the Canucks signed Kuzmenko.
“It’s the energy he’s bringing to the team — an unstoppable goodwill. It’s been revitalizing everyone’s fandom in the season we needed it the most.”
The Russian-born player set a new high for goals scored by a first-year Canucks player on Friday, amassing his 35th against the San Jose Sharks at Rogers Arena.
Brouse, who has attended Canucks games alongside Peeling since the fan pair became acquainted in person, said she has been inspired by the outpouring of support.
“I hope all this help will allow Hayley to get a little bit of normalcy back, and show everyone that while there’s a lot of disagreement on Canucks Twitter when there’s a time of need — everyone comes together.”
sgrochowski@postmedia.com
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