PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Fans of the Providence Bruins donated about $7,500 to a fund for the victims and families of the West Warwick nightclub fire while the team and the AHL chipped in $1,000 each.

Adam Alper, a spokesman for the Boston Bruins' American Hockey League affiliate, said the team discussed the possibility of postponing the game Friday against the Lowell Lock Monsters, but decided to hold the game as scheduled.

''It's better to do something and still have the game but still recognize what happened last night,'' said Alper. ''We saw after (Sept. 11) it can be beneficial for people to go to a game and get away from it for a while.''

The donations were collected as fans entered the arena. Team chief executive Jeff Fear and AHL president Dave Andrews announced the donations between the first and second periods.

The team also announced that all of its players will donate blood Tuesday.

At Brown University in Providence, a moment of silence was held before the men's basketball game against Columbia.

A similar remembrance was held at Harvard before the Crimson's game against Penn.