A Winnipeg paramedic who suffered burns in an explosion will benefit from a charity hockey game.
Corey Schroeder was off-duty when he suffered serious burns in an explosion. It happened while he was working on renovations in his condo on Apple Lane in St. James.
Friday night, the 4th annual ABC Fire and Safety ‘Guns vs. Hoses’ Charity Hockey game took place at MTS Iceplex.
The event pitted the Winnipeg Patrolmen Hockey Club against the Winnipeg Fire Fighters Hockey Team. This year’s match-up also invited Hockey Hall of Famer Doug Gilmour and Winnipeg Jets legends Laurie Boschman, Ab McDonald and Joe Daley.
The public was invited to cheer on the teams.
Schroeder was in the crowd and welcomed onto the ice to watch the puck drop.
Since it began, the hockey game has raised approximately $30,000 for charity. This year, organizers decided to donate funds raised to Schroeder. They presented a cheque for $12,000 to the Courage for Corey fund and Spinal Muscular Atrophy.
Schroeder said he was overwhelmed at the support. “"It's kind of breathtaking,” he told CTV News. “I'm still processing the whole event. It's going to take a long time to really grasp everything that happened.”
Two months later, his recovery is coming along. He credits an excellent immune system, though he says the burn wounds are extremely itchy.
He thanked Winnipeggers for their support as he recovered. “I have friends that I haven’t even met yet,” said Schroeder. He described the aftermath of the explosion, where he couldn’t see who was helping him as he left his condo, but remembers at least 30 people gathered outside to help.