The aftermath of the floods that recently affected High River, Calgary, Millarville, Eden Valley and many more places, has left many with nothing. Loved ones were lost; there are no homes, no cars, no personal memorabilia, no jobs. Nothing. Those affected are slowly trying to piece their lives and community back together, and ongoing help is still needed.
High River, Alberta is the one area that was hit the hardest by the ravaging flood. There have been plenty of volunteers, but this disaster and the devastation that goes along with it, is going to take a lot of time and dollars to restore back to habitable.
Plenty of fundraising and benefits have taken place, but yet- There is one more that can really help out.
Rod MacBeth, a rodeo announcer, has big plans. He has created the Hell or High Water Rodeo, to benefit flood victims of Alberta. On September 21st and 22nd, commencing at 1:00 p.m., the rodeo is a two-day, family fun benefit, that will feature some of the best cowboys and cowgirls in the world.
One of the highlights of the two-day event is the Team Roping Jackpot hosted the morning of the 21st, for 30 teams of those that were affected by the flood.
When I asked Rod how he chose his competitors, he replied, \”I really want to have competitors that have paid their dues. Ones that have worked hard and made a name for themselves. I also want the fans to be able to watch a great rodeo, and have a good feeling when they leave. They may forget what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel.\”
Amongst Rod are many others that are involved.
\”Once I got this whole thing started, I realized, I am going to need help, and lots of it. I have a great crew of people that are working alongside me, and things are moving along.\”
Some of those people include, Viktor Grant & Ryan Johns (Rodeo Committee), Jack Vanstane & Denice Hansen (Sponsorship Committee), Peggy Sue Moffat & Annalise Blishen (Production Managers), Tayla Frazer (Social Media), Anna Melnick (Media), Josh Traptow (Volunteers)
I\’ll be there too, competing in the barrel racing event.
Oh, and we\’re proud to announce, Katy Lucas, chosen as one of Western Horse Review\’s Top 25 Under 25 this year, will be sharing the announcing duties with Rod.
Also, special thanks to Kesler Rodeo and Maynerd Bird for providing the stock for the rodeo.
For more information on the Hell or High Water Rodeo, you can visit their website, like them on Facebook, or follow their Twitter feed. So put those dates on your calendar, do a good deed, and come out to support!