Cowboy Up for a Cure 3rd Annual Rodeo Rides Into Alltech Arena

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 6, 2016) — The Cowboy Up for a Cure Rodeo, hosted by the University of Kentucky Alpha Gamma Delta sorority, FarmHouse fraternity and the UK Club Rodeo team, will take its third ride at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Alltech Arena 7 p.m. Saturday, April 9.

Gates open at 6 p.m. with a variety of activities planned for the whole family. WBUL will be providing live entertainment while families can visit the inflatable village, face painting booths, roping and riding demonstrations and any one of the other 15 vendor sponsors. This event is open to the public and all proceeds will benefit Cowboy Up for a Cure Inc.

“We’re hoping that by bringing central Kentuckians together for a night of rodeo fun we can raise awareness and funding for kids who are facing the fight of their lives,” Rebecca Shryock, founder of Cowboy Up for a Cure Inc., said.

Award-winning, professional rodeo entertainment will be provided again this year by 3 Bar J Rodeo of Union City, Indiana. The event will offer live rodeo entertainment, featuring tie-down roping, saddle-bronc riding, steer wrestling, barrel racing, team roping, bull riding and a greased pig competition. Kids will also be able to join in on the fun by participating in a boot race.

Proceeds raised at the rodeo will enable Cowboy Up for a Cure Inc. to fund rehabilitative programs for children seeking treatment for pediatric cancer at the DanceBlue Kentucky Children’s Hospital Hematology/Oncology Clinic. For the second year, Cowboy Up was able to make a generous gift of $50,000 to support the new Providing Assistance With School (PAWS) program. PAWS, a program that started August 2014, lives in the DanceBlue Clinic and benefits families needing assistance with education during a child's cancer treatment.

"It amazes me to see how much Cowboy Up has affected this community in such a short time," Ben Taylor, Cowboy Up for a Cure Rodeo chairman, said. "The expansion from year one to now is amazing and has to be completely credited to Rebecca, founder of the organization, and everyone on her board. They really are the stars behind this."

The rodeo is sponsored by Frank Shoop of Georgetown and presented by Alpha Gamma Delta, Farmhouse fraternity and the UK Rodeo Team. 

Tickets are on sale now through April 8 at the Cowboy Up for a Cure website or may be purchased at the event. Cost is $15 per person with children 5 years of age and younger admitted free of charge.

For more information, visit the Cowboy Up for a Cure Inc. website or the rodeo Facebook event page.

UK is the University for Kentucky. At UK, we are educating more students, treating more patients with complex illnesses and conducting more research and service than at any time in our 150-year history. To read more about the UK story and how you can support continued investment in your university and the Commonwealth, go to: uky.edu/uk4ky. #uk4ky #seeblue

MEDIA CONTACT: Katy Bennett or Rebecca Stratton, katy.bennett@uky.edu or rebecca.stratton@uky.edu, 859-257-1909/859-323-2395