A fundraiser set up to help provide for the family of a man who died at Shawnigan Lake last week is nearing its $55,000 goal.
Hugh Thompson, a 49-year-old father of two, was killed in a mountain biking accident on May 7.
The loss was noted by Oak Bay Police Chief Ray Bernoties, who tweeted on Monday that Thompson was a close personal friend.
On Friday, my very close friend, Hugh, died while mountain biking at Shawnigan Lake. He's left behind his wife Paige & their two their sons, Avery (12) & Kaito (4). He was the dad the rest of us dream of being & we are absolutely heartbroken. https://t.co/adkZbyeXU4
— Ray Bernoties (@RayBernoties) May 10, 2021
Hugh Thompson leaves behind a widow, Paige, and two sons, Avery and Kaito. A GoFundMe has been set up to help provide a scholarship fund for the boys, with a goal of $55,000.
As of Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. PST, the fundraiser was closing in on its goal, with $53,465 raised after only one day of being online.
Jaymie Humber, who organized the GoFundMe on behalf of Paige Thompson, wrote that anyone wishing to offer sympathies should consider written condolences at this time.
Some donors on the GoFundMe noted Hugh Thompson’s contributions and accomplishments in the field of astronomy, saying that he had worked on the Thirty Metre Telescope, a new observatory set to go online in 2027 in Mauna Kea, Hawaii.
“Hugh has made incredibly important and lasting contributions to the design of the Thirty Meter Telescope,” wrote Fengchuan Liu on the GoFundMe page.
“The observatory will have less ‘jitter’ and produce sharper images because of Hugh…We will miss Hugh terribly.”
Donations to the GoFundMe can be made here.
