Champions of the 2024 Blood Brothers tournament in Brooten on Saturday, July 27, from left: John Leukam (of Plymouth), Randy Leukam (Andover), Duane Leukam (Sauk Centre) and Don Leukam (Sauk Centre).
Prairie View Community Golf Course in Brooten was in its fourth year of existence, and supporters were continuously thinking of ideas on how to promote it and increase its usage.
Along the way at that time came the Blood Brothers Tournament, which was held this past weekend for its 30th anniversary.
Don Leukam, who raised his two children in Belgrade in the 1990s and 2000s with his late wife, Sue, retold the story of how it all began in the summer of 1995.
"I was on the golf course board at the time. We were doing okay, but it had its struggles, and you had to fight to get it to work year after year," he said.
This got Leukam to think about how they could have a family-oriented tournament at Prairie View.
"I knew a bunch of families in the area: the Braegelmans, Wellers, Wanders, Vogts, Halvorsons, Langers, Zimmers and Grubers. We gave some invitations, and in 1995, we held our Blood Brothers tournament."
Leukam acknowledges that it's not guaranteed to go into the future, but they will continue as they are able to while showing support for Prairie View.
Sue Leukam passed away in 2007, but her memory continues on as part of one of B-B-E's graduation scholarships.
For the 2024 Blood Brothers tournament, Leukam's team of siblings took first with a 57. Their team also won the tournament in 2001, 2006, 2009, 2011 and 2015.
The full story was published in the August 1 issue of the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper.
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