Sarah Burke’s Family Get $550k Medical Bill

By: Pat Prescott
01/28/2012 02:24 PM ET

Sarah Burke injured herself during a training run earlier this month then consequently dying from those injuries days later and now her family will be left with an enormous medical bill.

Burke’s agent, Michael Spencer has set up the website, giveforward.com/sarahburke.com, with the goal of raising $550,000 to help pay for the pending medical costs. As of last friday the site had already raised just over $249,000. Family spokesperson Nicole Wool stated that the family excepts medical costs to be around $200.000.

Wool said in the statement that due to the contributions of others, “it is now clear that Sarah’s family will not have any financial burden related to her care.”

Wool added that any extra money donated will be “used to establish a foundation to honour Sarah’s legacy and promote the ideals she valued and embodied.”

The event that Burke was training for in Utah was organized and sponsored by Monster Energy Drink, and now there has been some anger directed at the company for not helping the family financially.

On Friday, Former Canadian Olympian Marnie McBean tweeted, “Why isn’t @MonsterEnergy paying #SarahBurke’s medical bill? Where’s their insurance & support now?”

Many others on Facebook and twitter questioned the lack of support by the sponsor also. But after Monster declined comments about the situation, a media relations employee for the company, not wanting to be identified over fear of being fired said, “That’s our policy for everything, We don’t talk to the media.”

Source: Sarah Burke Medical Bill