A benefit dinner for Brendan Matheson was held at the MacBride Museum on Thursday evening, raising as much as $10,000 for the family of the 15-year-old Whitehorse resident.

The teen was seriously injured after falling from a fourth-floor balcony of an Edmonton hotel in June while he was in the city for a basketball tournament.

About 250 people attended Thursday's event, which was organized by Sandra Paun, Tamara Hudson, Karen Koprowsky and Kim Morris, mothers of several of Matheson's Bantam Mustang Hockey team mates, as well as local event planner Randi Broadhagen.

The evening included live music by Fawn Fritzen, Katelyn Bushell, the Canucks, Banjo Bob as well as a silent auction and barbeque meal donated by Stacey's Butcher Block in Porter Creek and other local volunteers.

The benefit follows a barbecue and car wash held July 30, where more than $2,000 was raised on behalf of the family.

According to Paun, last night's event raised as much as $10,000, through admission fees and a silent auction as well as $1,000 in sales of home made pies donated by local baker Sara Hanson.

The largest single donation came from Sport Yukon, which gave $2,000 from the proceeds of last February's Hockey Day in Canada held in Whitehorse

The money comes at a much needed time for the Matheson family.

The injured youth has been at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital in Edmonton since the accident, and financial costs to his family have been high.

The fund-raiser was planned to help the family with bills which are not covered by their health insurance, such as paying to have his brother Ryan, a student at Yukon College, visit his sibling.

Matheson is making progress at the hospital, Paun said yesterday. He hopes to return to Whitehorse in early September, though his expected recovery time is still uncertain.

"He's up and walking around and he is in full-time rehab therapy at Glenrose, but he's going to have to stay there for a while,” said Paun.

In addition to having an injured teen, the Mathesons are also new to Whitehorse, having moved here from Bridgewater, N.S., less than a year ago. The event was held to show the new family some community support during a time of need.

"His dad is with him now and his parents up until yesterday have been with him the whole time. His parents have been amazing through the whole thing,” said Paun.

"They have been through hell and back, and having no family here, we need to let the family know that they are part of this community and they have our support, whether that be financial, emotional or otherwise.”

According to Paun, the event also gives Matheson's former teammates a chance to heal.

"As soon as it happened, I had a bunch of kids knocking on my door asking what they could do to get involved,” she said. "I think this is facilitating this as well as helping Brendan.”

Cole Morris, who worked the front door Thursday, said the youth "is doing a lot better; he's improved a lot.

"When I saw him, he couldn't really speak a lot but I was talking to him on the phone the other day and he sounded really good. I am here to help him and his family out ... we're showing a lot of support and everyone is coming out to help; it's been really good for them,” he said.

The event raised far more money than expected, and was a major success for organizers.

"I feel that that proves once again what kind of community we live in, said Paun this morning.

"We're still a small town and we are all tied to one another and have a responsibility to another, and we really proved that last night.”