ABILENE - The Wild Bill Hickok Rodeo, through its annual Tough Enough to Wear Pink campaign, raised $4,835 for the Elsie Brooks Memorial Cancer Fund of Dickinson County.
Fans were asked to wear pink to the Aug. 6 performance of the rodeo to raise awareness of the fight against cancer, and the money raised was from voluntary donations.
It’s a good feeling when an event can help out the community, said Jerry Marsteller, rodeo chairman for the Wild Bill Hickok Rodeo.
“We’re glad to partner with the Elsie Brooks Fund,” he said. “Anytime we can give back to others, it’s a good thing.”
Linda Bletscher, vice president of the fund, agreed.
“It’s huge,” she said. “It helps so many people, and they are so thankful.”
Bletscher has been a volunteer with the fund for more than five years, and loves the work.
“It is a pleasure to be involved. It’s so humbling to be able to help people. (Having cancer) is scary enough, and to be able to help people is good.”
The rodeo has been partnering with the Elsie Brooks Fund since 2008, and since then, has raised over $42,000 for the fund. The fund grants monies confidentially to those undergoing cancer treatment who are Dickinson County residents.
-Wild Bill Hickok Rodeo-