Rodeo goers don pink to support cancer research
Posted on Thursday, July 3, 2008
SPRINGDALE - She is tough enough to ride horses since she was old enough to walk, and on Wednesday 7-year-old Anna Thiesson showed fellow riders she was "Tough Enough to Wear Pink"during the 64 th annual Rodeo of the Ozarks.
Thiesson; her mother, Marti; and her cousin, Emily Luder, 10; dressed in matching pink plaid shirts with rhinestone collars during the Rodeo of the Ozarks'third annual "Pink Night. "The fundraiser raises breast cancer awareness and benefits the Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
"It's a very important cause, and we wanted to show our support," Marti Thiesson said. "We've never been directly affected by breast cancer, but I think most people have been directly or indirectly affected. Most people know a friend or a relative who's had it."
The "Tough Enough to Wear Pink"campaign was introduced during the 2005 Wrangler National Finals when cowboys and cowgirls were encouraged to wear pink to show support for the cause and sponsors donated funds. Since then, the event has continued to flourish at rodeos across the country.
"It's great awareness for us," said Alison Levin, executive director for the Ozark Affiliate of the Komen for a Cure. "Every year you see little kids in pink boots and cowboy hats. It reminds people of the importance of our message, which is, ' Early detection saves lives. ' It's a great opportunity for us to reach a different audience."
Rodeo of the Ozarks board member John Reddish said the campaign has continued to grow, both locally and nationally, since its inception. In 2007, the event generated record-breaking participation across the country with more than 250 rodeos in the United States and Canada.
Rodeo organizers anticipated seeing even more pink during the 2008 campaign.
"Each year, we see more and more people, both men and women, wearing pink. It's overwhelming," Reddish said.
The local sponsor of this year's event, Packaging Specialties of Fayetteville, paid $ 100 to the event winners who wore pink during their performance on Wednesday. The Rodeo of the Ozarks will also make a donation to Komen for the Cure.
"They've raised over several thousand dollars for us during the past several years," Levin said. "The money not only supports our overall mission, but it also goes back into the community to pay for screening, educational outreach and transportation needs for cancer patients."
More than 500 contestants and professional athletes will compete in seven events sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association and the Women's Professional Rodeo Association during this year's Rodeo of the Ozarks, which began Tuesday and ends Friday. Competitions include: tiedown roping, steer wrestling, barrel racing, bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, team roping and bull riding. After each night, nationally known country recording artists will perform at Parsons Stadium.
In honor of this year's "Tough Enough to Wear Pink"campaign, Rodeo of the Ozarks will also give away a pink guitar signed by various country artists and celebrities.
"This is just one way for us to help find a cure," said Pat Hutter, director of the Rodeo of the Ozarks board.
Hutter, whose niece recently died of breast cancer, showed her support from top to bottom Wednesday, from her pink cowboy hat and pink shirt down to her pink shoes. Even her jewelry was pink.
"I think almost everyone has been touched by breast cancer, and it seems to be getting worse and worse each year," she said. "That's why we want to help raise awareness."
For more information about Komen for the Cure, go online to www. komenozark. org. For more information about the rodeo, go to www. rodeooftheozarks. org.
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