There will be much talk in the weeks to come about what the Broncos plan to do to remember their fallen teammates as we close in on the start of the 2007 season. While we still don't know everything the Broncos might do on the field the team made a major announcement regarding how it plans to remember Darrent Williams off of it.
Check out the Fine Piece written by J. Michael Moore over at Denver Broncos.com. I don't want discredit Williams' memory or the Broncos tribute by trying to spin poetic about it so I will bring you some of the finer points --
"They could have asked for a sound system, a pool table or whatever but I told them they needed to dream big," said Rich Barrows, branch director at the Denver Broncos Boys and Girls Club. "They said they needed their own space. They shot the video and actually won the video contest (for funding)... This is something that will help kids long after they're gone. I think that's a neat lesson for them."
The Broncos decided to support the teen center concept after much debate on how to best honor Williams' memory. Vice president of community development Cindy Galloway Kellogg said creating a lasting legacy was top of mind.
She said the teen center concept "offered a unique, collaborative opportunity" with the Club, itself a key part of the Broncos efforts to improve the lives of children across Colorado. Barrows said the Club has been in need of more space for years and that this project will alleviate over-crowding and provide a special place for teens -- a group Williams himself sought to influence.
"We're turning kids away every day, especially during the summer time," Barrows said. "Teens want to have their own space. That's invaluable because they don't always want to be around their little brothers and sisters. Our kids realize that when they're in the club, when they're getting these opportunities provided by the Broncos, they're not going to be getting into the trouble that plagues so many other kids in the neighborhood."
Funds to cover construction of the teen center are coming form numerous sources including last week's Mike Shanahan Golf Classic and sales of the recently approved Orange Colorado License Plates which will donate to the cause for every set of plates sold through December.
We all know the Broncos are a classy organization. Classy to the players, classy to the fans, classy to the community. It's good to know that they stay classy to those who have fallen as well, letting us know that gone is not forgotten.