Bull riders will risk life and limb at the end of the month to help fight cancer. The second annual Cowboys for a Cure charity bull riding event and dance is taking place May 28 at the Cochrane Lions Rodeo Park.
Bull riders will risk life and limb at the end of the month to help fight cancer.
The second annual Cowboys for a Cure charity bull riding event and dance is taking place May 28 at the Cochrane Lions Rodeo Park.
Bill Scheers, a local rodeo legend, and his daughter Kylie started the organization. Bill was diagnosed with cancer and wanted to be able to give back to the community.
“In 2013, my dad and I created Cowboys for a Cure - we went around to Foothills Cowboys Association rodeos and ran a 50/50 draw, ” Kylie said.
She explained people would bet on whether the bull riders would get bucked off. That year they managed to raise $5,000 for the Tom Baker Cancer Centre.
Then sadly, Bill lost his battle with cancer and died the following December.
“I sort of took a year off in 2014, and then last year Slade Rogers, the organization's president, and some of the other board members said we should get Cowboys for a Cure going, ” Kylie explained.
They set into action in February 2015 and ran their first bull riding event and dance on May 30, 2015. The organization raised $26,000 from the event and over the summer to donate to the centre.
“We hope to do better than last year but with the economy our goals aren't too high - we're still hoping that we're going to have a great turnout. We're hoping for great weather as well, ” Kylie said.
This year, gates will open at 4:00 p.m. and the bull riding will start at 6:00 p.m. There will be a cabaret open to adults and a dance to follow the event.
“Thanks to our sponsors, we're sitting really well in that a lot of the money from the event is going to go back to the Tom Baker Cancer Centre. This year we were able to get our money directed to the Alberta Cancer Foundation's Patient Financial Assistance Program, ” Kylie said.
Kylie said the program helps those who need financial support while battling cancer. She pointed out a lot of farmers access it because “they live off of their work, and when they have cancer they can't work ”.
“My dad got some of the funding when he had cancer. So I think it's a great way for us to give back for everything that they did for my dad - that's what his goal was, ” Kylie said.
Tickets for the event are available online at eventbrite.ca or at the gate during the event.
