PHOTO: Bildbyrån
Börje Salming passed away on November 24th.
He fought to the last to raise money for ALS research – and it resonated all over Sweden.
– It has been an incredible development. People have been very generous, says friend Nicklas Lidström to SportExpressen.
The 24th of November fell asleep Börje Salming in after battling for several months with the tough nerve disease ALS. The incurable disease has gained a lot of space in recent months and the hockey icon has done his utmost to help others until the end.
Börje’s great courage
Together with the family, Börje Salming’s ALS Foundation was started to raise money for the important ALS research in the hope of helping vulnerable families and getting closer to a cure. The friend and Tre Kronor legend Nicklas Lidström was awarded a seat on the foundation’s board and is now talking about the big impression that Börje made for ALS during the autumn.
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Börje Salming showed his great courage when he took the last fight in his life and did his utmost to draw attention to the terrible disease. For several weeks, tributes and the love of the Swedish people poured in – at the same time that many people donated money to the foundation to make a difference.
– We on the board didn’t really know what to expect, but it has been an incredible development so far. People have been very generous and wanted to contribute, says “Lidas” in an interview with SportExpressen.
READ MORE: The teammate’s new details about Börje Salming’s Canada Cup tribute – and the prankster’s gesture: “Börje silenced him”
Total millions
The foundation’s chairman Rikard Josefson, who is also CEO of Avanza, confirms that millions of kroner have been collected in a short time. As early as next year, it is expected to be able to pay out money to families affected by ALS to help during the difficult time.
– You almost get a little teary-eyed… There are small ice hockey clubs that organize veteran matches and sell sausages and all the surplus goes to Börje’s foundation. There are many initiatives like this that zealots are behind, he says to the evening newspaper.
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Another big player that brought in a lot of money is the hamburger chain “Brödernas”, which served a special burger throughout November in Börje’s honor. Where 10 kroner per hamburger sold has been donated to the ALS foundation.
– Everything is so tragic about his passing, but what feels so nice is that the burger broke records. We sold over 37,000 of his burgers, more than any of our other ‘burgers of the month’. So it is over SEK 370,000. It feels great to be able to hand over that check to the foundation, says Jonas Wiklanderone of the founders, in a statement.
READ MORE: The NHL team’s unknown coup to attract Börje Salming to North America – reveals everything about the Swede’s greatness
The Brain Foundation has also seen a substantial increase in involvement in connection with Börje Salming’s illness and death. During the autumn, the fund collected close to one million kroner for the benefit of ALS research, thanks to the hockey icon’s great courage to be seen and heard in public during the last period of his life.
– It creates a broad commitment and that in itself increases knowledge and breaks the stigma, says the general secretary Anna Hemlin to TV4.