ALPINE, TX  – The Board of Directors of the Lone Star Cowboy Poetry Gathering thanked their predecessor, the Texas Cowboy Poetry Gathering, for its gift of computer equipment to help run the new gathering in February.

The Lone Star group formed earlier this year after the Texas Gathering announced at its meeting last February that it would be the last.

“We need all the help we can get because we are brand new and had less than a year to start from scratch,” Lone Star Co-Chair Gene Nowell said. “The Texas gathering was very successful for 33 years and we very much want to keep alive the cowboy poetry tradition.”

The first Lone Star Cowboy Poetry Gathering will be February 21 and 22 at Sul Ross State University.

Many performers from years past have expressed an interest in coming back and Co-Chair Kay Nowell said she has performers lined up for most of the slots she is trying to fill.

The Texas Cowboy Poetry Gathering, has released a list of recipients of donations. As a 501(C)(3) federally tax-exempt organization, it has to donate leftover funds to a tax-exempt charity.  

The Texas Gathering donations are to people of the ranching industry and local charities.

Donations include $30,000 to the Working Ranch Cowboy Association’s foundation, $10,000 to Sul Ross State University for students who had worked as cowboys and $5,000 each to the Big Bend Ranch Rodeo, the Sunshine House and the Family Crisis Center of the Big Bend.

And the Museum of the Big Bend at Sul Ross also will receive equipment and materials.