Rodeo Crowd Tough Enough to Wear Pink

Pink shirts were seen all over the coliseum and fairgrounds on Thursday, when the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo hosted their annual Tough Enough to Wear Pink night. Performers, attendees, ambassadors, the rodeo committee and the announcer all showed up in pink button-downs, showing their support for the cause.

The event has been running for roughly six years, and functions by donating a portion of proceeds to the American Cancer Society. Shannon Medical Center also sends nurses and physicians out to raise awareness each year and to promote education by passing out materials. This year, they passed out flashing pink ribbons, encouraging everyone in the crowd to participate by wearing something pink.

Kori Knappe, Marketing Director for Shannon Medical Center, explained the objective of the event. “It’s just for educational purposes, education and awareness,” she said. “Detection and prevention is very, very important in any type of cancer. They have all the educational information on hand.”

Knappe says the night at the rodeo also provides the opportunity to remind people that cancer doesn’t just happen in October. “I really just think it’s important to focus on breast cancer and all types of cancer year round, not just in October (breast cancer awareness month). Everybody just tends to think pink Oct. 1 – 31, but it’s something that needs attention year round and I think the more often we can bring it up, the better it is.”

Kellye Howard, Relay For Life Specialist, reiterated Knappe’s point. “The main thing is raising awareness,” she said. “It’s a big deal for us to make sure the public is aware of cancer in general. They focus on breast cancer [at the event], but for the American Cancer Society it’s all cancers. [The event] is a great way to get out and meet those we might miss at other functions.”

This year, $1 from each rodeo ticket sold will be donated to the American Cancer Society. Howard says that the funds raised each float between $5,000 and $6,000, however in the past they have passed a bucket around for donations. This is the first year that they will be taking proceeds directly from ticket sales, and Howard said on Thursday afternoon she anticipated the event to bring in somewhere in the ballpark of $4,500.

The proceeds, Howard says, “go to the American Cancer Society and Tom Green County Relay For Life. It (the money raised) goes for cancer research, education, advocacy and patient services.”

Knappe the event is a big one and very important to serve as a reminder that cancer affects all kinds of people every day. She says the evening in pink is tool to reach more people, and reminds that cancer is indiscriminate.  “One thing that I’ve seen is that it…affects everybody,” she said. “It doesn’t affect people of a certain age or women or men of a certain age, it has a broad reach. It’s kind of a disease that knows no age and sees no color. It’s a disease that affects everybody.”

Tough Enough to Wear Pink is an annual event sponsored by Wrangler that is hosted at large rodeos nationwide throughout the year. Shannon Medical Center has been participating with the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo for the past six years on the event.