Gord Bamford added Olds, Alta., to his 25-Year Anniversary tour to support Broncos Athletics. On October 25, he rolled into town for a packed house at the Future Ag Event Centre (formerly known as the Cow Palace)!
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The award-winning Canadian country artist grew up in Central Alberta and calls the area home. Now raising his own family here, he shares his appreciation for agriculture and rodeo with his kids. His connection to Olds College of Agriculture & Technology runs deep, as his daughter is a varsity athlete on the Broncos women's volleyball team. Feeling that the school aligns with so much of what he appreciates about Central Alberta, Bamford generously partnered with the College, adding Olds as a tour stop. The concert anchored a jam-packed weekend that also featured the Broncos volleyball opening weekend and the Olds College Fall Rodeo.
Olds College Broncos volleyball teams hit the home court for the first time this season on the Friday night that weekend. They welcomed Briercrest College to the Ralph Klein Center (RKC) where the women competed but fell short in three sets, and the men’s team fought it out for five sets but ultimately fell short for a 3-2 loss. Despite the final results, the strong crowd and the intense athletic performance on display made for an exciting kick-off to the season. The volleyball teams had a rematch the next afternoon against Briercrest but were unable to flip the narrative.
The home rodeo featured a slack and two performances, with all tickets selling out online in just thirty minutes before the fun-filled weekend even arrived. In front of a sellout crowd, the Broncos rodeo team had their best weekend of the season with six event wins and 39 top ten finishes. Standout performances include: Brandsten Moore, who won the Tie Down Roping on Saturday and Team Roping on Sunday; Keegan Hodgson, winning the Steer Wrestling in both performances; and Alyssa Maffenbeier who took the number one spot in both performances for Goat Tying.
For those that were unable to get tickets to the Saturday night rodeo, they had the opportunity to catch the action at the watch party that was included in the Gord Bamford concert tickets. At 5:30 p.m. at the Future Ag Events Centre, the big screen streamed the live rodeo where anyone with a concert ticket was welcome to attend. At 9:30 p.m., following the rodeo, local talented musician and Olds College Alumni, Kenzie Duboiz was welcomed to the stage as the opener for Gord. After a fantastic opening performance, Bamford came onstage and performed in front of the packed crowd.
It was a night of great music, and a wonderful way to see the campus community and community of Olds (although some concert attendees travelled from afar to see Gord) come together for a fun night for a good cause.
“The whole weekend was fantastic,” says Rachel Cunningham, Broncos Athletic Manager. “All of our athletes were involved from competing to volunteering. We are so grateful to Gord Bamford and his team, and the ORE for helping make this happen. Being able to put on a fundraiser that creates a fun night for the whole community is incredible.”
The proceeds of the event went to Broncos Athletics for scholarships. Over 70 Broncos athletes volunteered from setup, to take down and everything in between. The athletics department partnered with the Olds Regional Exhibition (ORE) and the Gord Bamford team to make this event happen. The ORE showed their professionalism and community spirit while running a great event.
“It was an incredible night supporting the Broncos and their athletic scholarship program,” commented Bamford. “The community energy was unreal, and knowing that $10,000 was raised to help students chase their goals makes it all worth it. I’m proud to be part of something that gives back to the next generation.”
A true mix of community and the College, it was a great turnout of over 800 attendees, and a wonderful opportunity that successfully raised $10,000 for Broncos Athletics. The College extends their gratitude to Gord Bamford for the opportunity and the ORE for their essential role in making the event go so smoothly. The Broncos Bash with Bamford weekend was jam packed and an overall success!
