Heart BEAT

A Rodeo With A Great Cause: Our Children

WALLA WALLA - For 30 years, collegiate cowboys have been making a difference in children's lives.

March 9 through 11 is the 30th anniversary of a partnership between the Walla Walla Community College, Exchange Club of Walla Walla and the Council for the Prevention of Child Abuse. Together they put on the WWCC Collegiate Rodeo, Riding Against Child Abuse, and have raised $300,000 for local child abuse prevention activities and college rodeo, said Dick Cook, the president of the Walla Walla Council for Prevention of Child Abuse.

The rodeo takes place this weekend at the Walla Walla Fairgrounds. Friday and Saturday evening performances begin at 7 p.m. with Saturday and Sunday afternoon performances starting at 1:30 and noon, respectively. Performances will feature rodeo clown JJ Harrison running and laughing right alongside the college rodeo contestants. There is a free Friday morning slack at 9 a.m.

Cook said the college rodeo, now in its 43rd year, adopted the good cause to draw more people.

"For the first 13 years, it was a college rodeo that just lost money," he said. "Now there's a lot of action at the fairgrounds."

The cost of the rodeo is so high because of things like hay, travel and paying for the judges, Cook said. He added that the event "just wasn't breaking even."

The coach of the Walla Walla Community College rodeo team at the time knew the Exchange Clu had lots of members and a great philanthropy - child abuse prevention. They worked out a deal to get more people in the doors and all of the profits go to help children who are victims of child abuse.

"It has raised awareness," Cook added.

Cowboy teams will come from colleges like the University of Idaho, Washington State University, Oregon State University, Central Washington University, Blue Mountain Community College, Walla Walla Community College, Lewis & Clark College and Treasure Valley of Ontario. Individuals from other schools may also enter, Cook said.

The riders are amateurs who ride the college rodeo circuit hoping to win points and qualify for the National Finals Rodeo in June.

The rodeo will feature four performances and the finals will be held on Sunday.

And while the cowboys on the bucking broncos will be something to see, as well as that fun rodeo clown, Cook said the real focus is protecting our kids.

"We still have a lot of issues with safety for our children," he said. "For three to four days a year when the rodeo comes around, (the kids) are our mission."

The advocacy for children's' safety starts even before the rodeo begins. Three weeks before. About 6,500 coloring posters are sent to elementary schools all over the Walla Walla Valley.

The students decorate the posters and provide a fun activity as well as awareness of child abuse and prevention among students and school staff members, Cook said.

The coloring posters promote Riding Against Child Abuse and remind children "child abuse is never their fault."

About one-third of the posters come back and are used throughout the rodeo as decorations and as the placemats for the Cowboy Breakfast on Saturday morning.

In addition to supporting the kids, the rodeo also provides them with plenty of fun activities, like the Kids' Rodeo at 9:30 a.m. Saturday. Kids can ride horses, practice roping and even ride stick horses. There will also be a clown and face painting.

Cook said the rodeo that was once in the red now brings in more than 6,000 people each year over the three-day weekend. A lot of free tickets are also given away so low-income families can attend.

"We want to make sure people can come," Cook added.

It takes more than 250 volunteers and 150 businesses and individuals who contribute funding to the rodeo, but Cook said the cause is worth it.

Advance rodeo tickets prices are $7 for adults, $4 for children/seniors (under 12 and over 64), $18 for one performance family tickets. Tickets are on sale in Walla Walla at Sterling Savings Bank, L&G Ranch Supply, New York Store, Super One, Walla Walla Harvest Foods and the WWCC Bookstore. In Milton-Freewater, advance tickets are available at Bordertown Feed & Supply and Saager Shoe Shop.