The Montreal Alouettes marked their 80th anniversary with a special fundraising dinner that brought together generations of players, coaches and executives who helped shape the CFL franchise.

Among the former Alouettes figures taking part were Étienne Boulay, Wally Buono, Ben Cahoon, Pierre Desjardins, Jim Popp, Mike Pringle, Jamel Richardson, Johnny Rodgers, Larry Smith and Marc Trestman.

Wally Buono started his football career with the Montreal Alouettes in 1973, where he won two Grey Cups as a player in 1974 and 1977. The CFL Hall of Fame member went on to become the winningest coach in the league and a respected executive. “I still remember Sam Berger and how he loved the players and how he treated the players,” Wally Buono said. “J. I. Albrecht and Mark Levy, the teams that they had built, then going from the Autostade, to McGill (Percival Molson) Stadium. We were fortunate enough to play at the Big O in 1976 after the Olympics.”

Buono was also part of one of the most famous Grey Cup games, the 1977 Ice Bowl. “I can remember the Grey Cup game in 1977,” Buono said. “I think the city workers were on strike and there’s no buses; the streets weren’t clean because of the snow and everybody just kind of made it into a big party. We were very, very fortunate to play in the Grey Cup and our team came out as winners. That’s a dream made for a kid who grew up in Montreal North. Tony Proudford helped us out with his staple gun. It wasn’t legal in those days, right? So, we did it, and after that, they put a law that you couldn’t do that. But you know, like I said, those were great memories.”

Jamel Richardson, won two Grey Cup championships with the Alouettes, and was named the Grey Cup Most Valuable Player of the 2010 game. The slotback reflected on what it meant to come to Montreal. “Coming into this organization, I knew the standards were high,” Jamel Richards said. “They were dominating back then. When I was with Saskatchewan, all we heard was Montreal Alouettes. I knew where the standards were, and I knew where my mindset was, and I was to come in here and add to it.

His anticipation for Saturday night’s halftime ceremony was very high. “It’s going to be super exciting,” Richardson said. “Even when I got the invitation to be here, I just started watching old film again just to get the blood going, memories, and so now that I’m here, I’m super ecstatic. I can’t wait for it, and I can’t wait to get back in front of the crowd.”

There was a historical exhibit displaying important artifacts from the organization’s past, including the Grey Cup and Johnny Rodgers’ Heisman Trophy. “It really means a lot because we’re the first to get a lot of things started,” Johnny Rodgers said of being a Heisman winner to sign with the Alouettes. “At the beginning is a lot more difficult than at the end when you when you’re doing it, but Marv Levy came in and did a really good job, and we recruited a lot of good players, and we were able to get the attitude of winning. We didn’t believe that winning isn’t everything, but here in Montreal we rate it right up there with oxygen. It’s pretty darn important.”

The fundraising effort benefited the Alouettes Foundation’s Together in School program, which encourages students to pursue their education. n