This Saturday marks the return of the Broncos Memorial Monument Fundraiser Golf Tournament.

Golfers will be teeing off Saturday at 1:00 p.m. from Elmwood Golf and Country Club alongside former Swift Current Broncos players from the team involved in the tragic bus crash 30 years ago.

Bill Lee, Coordinator of the Broncos Memorial Monument and event organizer, says planning a Friday night social before the players tee off Saturday, was essential to help the camaraderie and healing process between the former teammates - some of which haven't each other since their junior hockey careers ended.

"That's what it's about - we don't want the boys to just show up, go golfing, get in their cars and go home again. They'd leave feeling the same way as when they arrived," Lee said. "We want to spend at least 5 or 6 hours with each one of the guys. Arty Fehr (former Broncos goaltender) was on that bus, and he has only been here three days since, and hasn't received much contact. It's situations like those that we're trying to heal."

As for the fundraising side of things, Lee says work needing to be done at the monument is the reason for the return of this tournament after a 5-year hiatus.

"The way the monument is set up now, it's not very safe for buses and other large vehicles - we put it together in such a hurry to get it ready for the 30th anniversary of the crash back on December 30th. What we've decided as a committee is to double the size of it."

This, according to the man behind the monument, will consist of several steps:

  • widen the gate to twice the current size
  • construct a new roadway through the larger gate
  • move the west fence back 20 ft.
  • move the north fence back to its original location, and
  • new larger roundabout and entrance/exit both paved

An additional paving step will be undertaken once the previous steps are completed. The R.M. of Swift Current has reportedly agreed to pave the current stretch of grid road from the Trans-Canada Highway up to the edge of the entrance to the monument site.

For Lee and other committee members however, the immediate need is to focus on rekindling those longtime friendships between former teammates and enjoy the sunny weekend ahead in Swift Current.