They will not be forgotten.
That was the message that organizers of the Humboldt Broncos Memorial Golf Tournament want the Broncos, the families, and the community to remember moving forward.
In all, 36 teams and 144 golfers took to the Humboldt Golf Club to honour the Broncos, particularly the 13 who lost their lives in the April 6 bus crash.
The crash was heart-wrenching to watch as news started coming through on social media, says Jared Bednar, current head coach of the Colorado Avalanche and one of the tournament organizers.
However, watching the support coming in for the community and families was amazing to watch as well, he says, and he knew he also wanted to do something.
“It is a tough time, there’s no question about it. That’s why we wanted to try and do something to give back to the team, and the families, and the community and do this golf tournament,” says Bednar.
With Bednar in Colorado, Brian Munz; former Humboldt resident and current Winnipeg Jets NHL Broadcaster for TSN 1290, in Winnipeg, and Laurie Warford in Humboldt, they organized the event from three different parts of North America.
Giving the community a chance to relax and have some fun with friends while memorializing those who were involved in the crash was the main goals of the event, says Bednar.
Around a dozen Bronco family members made the trip out to the course to either golf, volunteer, or spend time at the event, says Warford.
The purpose of the event was to honour the Broncos and the families with all the money going back to the Broncos organization, she says.
From sponsors to volunteers, everyone jumped to help with the event, says Warford, including parents, billet families, and many local businesses.
“It was a joint effort by a lot...everybody jumped on very quickly. Some people came to us asking to jump on.”
One person that jumped on board, as soon as his schedule allowed, was current head coach Nathan Oystrick.
Being there to support the families and organization means a lot, he says.
“It’s been great to be here to meet people and meet some of the families and community. Be able to put faces to the names.”
While the organizers were happy with the success of the first year, they are excited for the years to come where the community will join together again to remember and honour the Humboldt Broncos, says Bednar.
