Riders with a cause

By Misty Shultz/Staff Writer

April 21, 2007 12:06 pm

— The Johnson County Children’s Advocacy Center will host its 10th annual Cowboys for Kids Benefit on Friday and Saturday with 24 celebrities participating to raise money for victims of child abuse.
Money raised at the Cowboys for Kids Benefit will go directly to the center to support the children and the programs, CAC Executive Director Tammy King said. Funding for the center comes only from grants and the benefit.
“It has been my hope for over six years that I would arrive at the center and find that we had no new cases,” King said. “The sad reality is that I am still arriving at the center everyday taking new referrals, and children’s lives are still being ripped apart by abuse.”
This is why funding for the center is a necessity, she said.
King said the CAC uses the money raised at the benefit for training, programming, utilities, insurance, supplies and salaries for therapists, support staff and forensic interviewers.
“Ten years ago we raised $10,000 and last year we raised $93,000 for the Children’s Advocacy Center,” Johnson County Sheriff Bob Alford said. “This year we are hoping to raise more than $100,000.”
Alford and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office help organize the benefit.
“Children are the purpose of this,” Alford said, “not the event.”
Although the Roping the Stars Dinner on Friday night is sold out for the first time since the event was founded, tickets are available for the children’s stick horse rodeo, steer saddling, professional bull riding and celebrity team roping Saturday.
Three-time world champion steer wrestler and 16-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier Byron Walker will be one of many rodeo celebrities to compete in the events.
“We also have some of the biggest, baddest bulls coming,” Alford said. “We even have Dr. Proctor.”
Other celebrities who will participate in this year’s benefit are Larry Mahan, Walt Garrison, Red Steagall, Barry Corbin, Chad Eubank, Sonny Burgess, Dan Roberts, Robert Fuller, Jennifer Savidge, Alex Cord, Buck Taylor, Dean Smith, Charlie Throckmorton, Roy Cooper, “Starvin Marvin” Nash, Randy Watson, Byron Walker, Tanya Harvey, Rick Chapman, Rob Sheppard, Bobby Norris and Brantley Foster. These celebrities have been recognized in many areas for their athletic, musical, vocal and acting abilities.
“What has won them the most favor with Johnson County residents is their willingness to join in the fight against child abuse and to help raise funds that will ensure the long-time presence of CAC for those children that have endured the worst instances of abuse,” Alford said.
The celebrities are not paid for appearing at the benefit.
Sponsors for the dinner are Liberty Ford and J.J. and Bobby Norris, who host it at their Johnson County ranch. The major event sponsor for the bull riding event is Jason Prado and Liberty Ford. Wal-Mart sponsoring the team roping, Devon Energy sponsors the kid’s stick horse rodeo, and Chesapeake Energy and Halliburton sponsor additional activities.
The Roping the Stars Dinner will be held at 7 p.m. Friday. Guests will enjoy a barbecue dinner, silent and live auctions and entertainment by Red Steagall, Sonny Burgess and Dan Roberts. A reception will be held at 6 p.m. for $1,500 sponsors.
Items to be auctioned include cutting horses donated by Dee and Mary Burney, Justin boots and tack from McDaniel Saddlery.
The stick horse rodeo will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, and the professional bull riding, celebrity team roping and steer saddling — with Cleburne and Johnson County law officers and firefighters participating — will be held during the Professional Bull Riders all-bull riding performance.
The bull riding starts at 7 p.m. Saturday and will be held at the Sheriff’s Posse Grounds on South Main Street in Cleburne.
Tickets are available at the Children’s Advocacy Center, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, Cleburne Chamber of Commerce and Lee’s Western Wear.
Adult tickets cost $10. Tickets for children ages 5 to 10 and seniors age 65 and older cost $5. The entry fee for the children’s stick horse rodeo is $10 per child. Children will receive a stick horse, a T-shirt and entry into the barrel racing, pole bending, bronc busting and dummy roping events.
CAC works with Johnson County investigators to serve child victims and their non-offending family members by providing case tracking, multi-disciplinary case staffings, resource referrals, forensic interviews, counseling, court school, court accompaniment, expert testimony and numerous other services.
The center has been recognized as having the top multi-disciplinary team for five years running. It has also been recognized for its non-traditional programs such as the Therapy Dog Program, Victims Life Enhancement Program and Baby Moses Project.
“If the center didn’t exist, I don’t know what families would do,” Christina Payne, CAC community outreach coordinator, said. “This is why the rodeo is very beneficial. It helps us keep the center open to reach out to help children and their families.”

Misty Shultz can be reached at 817-645-2441, ext. 2336,
or reporter2@trcle.com.

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