1971 Bus Wreck 50th Anniversary Memorial Ride Home

50 years ago, on September 11, 1971, a school bus carrying the Gunnison High School Jr. Varsity football team lost its brakes coming down Monarch pass and tragically left the highway, killing 8 of my teammates and a coach, while critically injuring dozens of others. This tragedy not only impacted the small mountain community of Gunnison, but also the entire State of Colorado. It went on to break the heart of the Nation when the story of this tragedy was a featured in Life magazine.

Since that fateful day great strides have been made by so many in this small mountain community, to help improve the safety of every single child now transported on school buses nationwide.  From major improvements in school bus construction safety standards and the development of a state-of-the art school bus braking system known as the “Gunnison Package”, which is now required on all Colorado school buses and also available on school buses nationwide, to the construction of "Runaway Truck Ramps", now installed on many Colorado mountain passes, have all proven to save countless lives. 

A 501(c)(3) non-profit was also formed, known as the “1971 Gunnison High School Football Memorial Foundation, Inc.,” dedicated to honoring those that perished and to assure the families of the fallen that their loved ones would never be forgotten, officially retiring the jerseys of our fallen teammates and coach.  The Foundation is also committed to and has been successful at raising funds to provide financial scholarships each year to deserving GHS graduates to support their educational pursuits upon graduation. 

This September 11, 2021, will mark the 50th solemn anniversary of this tragedy. To honor the memory of my fallen teammates and coach and help raise funds for the the Foundation, I will be cycling from the Heart of the Rockies Medical Center in Salida, where all of my teammates and I were transported after the accident, back over Monarch Pass (elevation 13,312 ft.), to GHS, where this fateful journey began. I will be carrying with me a “Game Ball” etched with the names and jersey #’s of my fallen teammates/coach, handing it off to the Gunnison Cowboy Football team prior to kick-off of the homecoming football game.

I am seeking your financial support to help honor my fallen teammates and coach, via this "Go Fund Me" site, that will go directly to the 1971 GHS Memorial Football Foundation, allowing them to continue their efforts to support school bus safety measures and providing scholarship funding for years to come while helping to ensure no other community or families will experience similar tragedies in the future.

God bless you and I thank you so much for your support!