£9,000 raised to help the family of Sheffield Steelers player caught up in the Ukraine crisis
Martin Latal's family recently had to flee Ukraine following Russia's invasion
Last updated 15th Mar 2022
Ice hockey fans across South Yorkshire have collectively managed to raise £9,000 for the family of a Sheffield Steelers player caught up in the Ukraine crisis.
The family of Martin Latal's Ukrainian wife Iryna have been forced to flee the war-torn nation recently with other members of her family.
They are now living as refugee's in the Czech Republic with barely any money or food to live off.
In response, the Steelers decided to raffle off one of Latal's match-worn shirts, with all the money raised being used to help the 33-year-old's family.
Club Official David Simms says he's not surprised by the supporters' generosity:
"When players or people in the past have been in need, the Steelers family has come to the front to help out, and that's happened again here.
"The fans love Martin; he's a great character and a great player.
"We're a community club, a family club, and once again the Steelers have shown their true colours in this instance.
"We didn't know if we'd be raising £300 or £3,000, but the magnificent total of £9,000 should go some way towards easing the requirements of Martin's family.
"I think Martin's been taken aback with it all a little bit.
"He's a humble bloke, but obviously knowing that he's got all the people in Sheffield and British ice hockey behind him must make him very proud."
Meanwhile, Mr. Simms insists the club are keen to help even further if possible:
"We'll sit down with Martin, and we'll discuss if there is anything else we can do for him to help.
"I know there is an appetite out there from our fan base to keep helping; they want to be involved with Martin as much as they can be to try and alleviate his concerns."