The Golden Circle of Champions, in conjunction with Las Vegas Events, the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), Red Bluff Round- Up, Santa Maria Elks Rodeo and Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation,
The Golden Circle of Champions, in conjunction with Las Vegas Events, the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), Red Bluff Round- Up, Santa Maria Elks Rodeo and Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation, announced last month that it will honor 20 children and their families fighting life-threatening cancer and other illnesses during the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas Dec. 5-14.
Gunnison Cattlemen’s Days, through the generous support of Troupe Land and Cattle, has created Team Brody 2019 to send a local family to the events.
Founded in 2016 in conjunction with the Santa Maria Elks Rodeo, the Golden Circle of Champions was conceived to raise awareness and provide funds to help those children in need. Each year, families are honored during the opening night of the rodeo. Through donations and fundraising efforts, support is provided directly to the families to fulfill their most urgent needs: paying bills, buying medicine and caring for their family.
What started at the Santa Maria Elks Rodeo in California is now making its way to Las Vegas to continue the vital mission of the Golden Circle of Champions. Ten local Las Vegas families along with 10 families chosen from rodeos sanctioned by the Professional PRCA across the country will be treated like champions at rodeo-themed activities in their honor.
Each of the 20 families in attendance will include a child between the ages of 6 and 14 years of age who has been diagnosed with a life-threatening cancer or associated illness.
While in Las Vegas, the children and their families will be honored at the Golden Circle of Champions Banquet at the South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa on Sunday, Dec. 8 at 1 p.m. The children will have an opportunity to dine with rodeo champions, receive special gifts and learn about the sport of rodeo. That evening, all honorees will attend the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Gunnison’s Cattlemen’s Days — the fourth oldest rodeo in the nation — is excited to announce that it will be hosting a “Golden Champion” child, Brody Pitt, from Crested Butte to attend the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.
Brody is 6 years old and has battled for the past year and a half in his quest to beat medulloblastoma, a rare type of brain cancer. He will be joined in Las Vegas by his parents, Casey and Tyler Pitt, along with his brother Jackson.
Brody’s treatment completely uprooted the family as they had to temporarily move to Houston, Texas. Showing the community support for the family’s fight, Casey’s co-workers donated banked vacation days so that the family could stay enrolled in their health insurance.
Brody loves to watch the bull riding at Cattlemen’s Days in July, and is excited to see the best cowboys compete in Las Vegas. Through the generous support of Troupe Land and Cattle near Gunnison, Team Brody 2019 has been formed to get Brody and his family to the 2019 Golden Circle of Champions.
Known as the richest and most prestigious rodeo in the world, the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo attracts the top 15 PRCA contestants in bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tiedown roping and bull riding, plus barrel racing, to compete for a share of the $10 million purse and the coveted PRCA World Championship Gold Buckles. In 2018, the event had a total attendance of 169,171 over the 10 days of competition and has sold out more than 300 consecutive performances.
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