The sports world is rallying around the husband of Jessi Pierce after the beloved NHL reporter died alongside their three children in a house fire.
Pierce, 37, and her young kids Hudson, Cayden and Avery were declared dead Saturday after a fire engulfed their home in White Bear Lake, Minnesota.
The tragedy has left Pierce’s husband, Mike Hinrichs, mourning the loss of his wife, their three children and the family dog.
A GoFundMe has been setup to support him during this ‘unimaginably difficult time,’ with the funds going towards ‘covering funeral expenses’ and ‘providing financial support… during this period of grief.’
At the time of writing, the page had attracted 2,000 donations totaling more than $200,000 of its $250,000 target.
Among those to make the biggest contributions are Pierce’s local NHL team, the Minnesota Wild ($10,000), the Columbus Blue Jackets hockey team ($10,000), the NHL Players’ Association ($5,000), staff at NHL.com ($2,235), and the Professional Hockey Writers Association ($1,000).
The sports world is rallying around the husband of Jessi Pierce after he lost his wife and kids
Pierce, 37, and her kids Hudson, Cayden and Avery were declared dead after a house fire
The GoFundMe included a tribute to Pierce, which read: ‘Jessi had a larger-than-life personality and an even bigger heart. She was devoted to her family, going above and beyond to create many moments of joy and everlasting memories.
‘The children, each with their own unique personalities, shared Jessi’s zest for life and love for adventure. They leave behind Mike, husband to Jessi and loving father of their children, who is now experiencing an unimaginably difficult time.’
The devastating house fire that killed Pierce and her three children – Hudson, 8, Cayden, 6, and Avery, 4 – was not started intentionally, investigators believe.
It is reported that the White Bear Lake Fire Department found a ‘fully involved structure fire’ after responding to a 911 call from neighbors, who saw flames coming through the roof and said there were likely people inside.
While the cause remains under investigation, preliminary details provided by investigators suggest the fire was not an act of arson, according to The Minnesota Star Tribune.
‘Our priorities are, first and foremost, being present for those directly affected by this tragedy, conducting a thorough investigation, and ensuring our first responders involved in this incident heal alongside the community,’ the Fire Department said.
