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Robert Kraft Sends Flowers, Condolences For Humboldt Broncos Crash Victim's Funeral

BOSTON (CBS) – Families of the 16 members of a junior hockey team in Canada who were killed in a bus crash have received support from the around the globe. For loved ones of the first victim to be laid to rest, that included a message from New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

Sixteen members of the Humboldt Broncos organization, including 10 players and the team's coach, died last week following a collision with a tractor-trailer. There were 29 people on board as the Broncos made the bus trip to a playoff game.

Tyler Bieber, a broadcaster for the Broncos, was among those killed. His funeral on Thursday marked the first service held following the crash.

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Flowers are left outside the Humboldt Uniplex ice-skating rink on April 7, 2018 in Humboldt, Saskatchewan after a bus carrying a junior ice hockey team collided with a semi-trailer truck near Tisdale and Nipawin, Saskatchewan province, killing 16 people. (Photo Credit: KYMBER RAE/AFP/Getty Images)

According to ESPN, Bieber was a Patriots fan. When Kraft learned this, he sent flowers for the funeral. The Patriots owner also reportedly left a voicemail for Bieber's family.

In the aftermath of the crash, a movement called #PutYourSticksOut spread widely on social media. People around the globe left their hockey sticks on their porch because "The boys might need it… where ever they are."

An online fundraising page has already become one of the top five GoFundMe campaigns ever. In less than a week, nearly $10 million has been raised for the players and families affected by the crash.

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