Wyoming rodeo committees faced an unthinkable decision in 2020 as the public health risks of hosting rodeos became untenable in the face of COVID-19. A year without a rodeo in Wyoming? In most cases, it simply has never happened. If there's one thing we know for sure about 2020, all bets (and draws) are off.
Luckily, cowboys don't quit. With the spirit and optimism of the Cowboy Code of Ethics, five rodeos came together to share some hope and help for rodeo lovers and neighbors in need across the state of Wyoming; they created a t-shirt to sell with 100% of the net profits benefitting Wyoming Hunger Initiative. When the campaign closed, the team at Wyoming Hunger Initiative played a guessing game: just how much could those net profits be from the sales of an already-affordable t-shirt?
Well. We won't tell you the range of guesses, but needless to say most of us were a little off—the final tally was $8,518.20! We shouldn't be surprised by the generosity of the rodeo community, but that's a lot of t-shirts. It's also an important reminder about the power of partnerships that distinguishes so much of our state.
Tommy Hirsig (CEO of Cheyenne Frontier Days®) and Mike Smith (Public Relations Chairman) delivered the donation this week and we couldn't be more thankful. Every dollar raised will directly benefit anti-hunger organizations across the state. If you missed getting your own t-shirt you can either wait for the holidays (we have it on good authority some of the shirts will be appearing under Christmas trees across the country) or visit the Cheyenne Frontier Days® Merchandise store online to purchase your own. We're all hoping for that re-ride in 2021.
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