Supporting Breast Cancer and Having a Ropin' N Ridin' Good Time

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By KFBB News Team

Story Published: Jul 30, 2010 at 11:01 PM MDT

Story Updated: Jul 30, 2010 at 11:01 PM MDT

Fair events are stretching beyond Great Falls tonight as over 150 women in Helena came together to support breast cancer and along the way they learned how to "rope-n-ride.”

It was a sea of pink as women supporting breast cancer took over the rodeo ring at the Last Chance Stampede and Fair at the second annual Chicks’ N Chaps Fundraiser.

All proceeds from tonight’s rodeo clinic and auction go to breast cancer awareness, research and treatment at Saint Peter's Cancer Research Center.

Cowboys from across the country taught the ladies the skills of rodeo and gave them a tour of the bucking chutes.

Women learn the seven events of professional rodeo including; saddle bronco riding, bareback riding, bull riding, calf roping, team roping, steer wrestling, and barrel racing.

Chicks’ N Chaps Emcee, Jerri Matthews says “There’s just a lot of women who have lost their “ta-ta’s!” And people see that and want to help, they want to help with the research and prevent someone they love and is very dear to them from going through that same thing.”

“It’s important to get the awareness out there and the education to the ladies about breast cancer. It is very survivable if it is caught in the early stages,” says Committee Chairwoman Valerie St. Clair.

“You know, it’s a really fun place to come, for women to just come and be themselves, have a good time and get to meet some really cute cowboys. It could be me, you know. It could be my mother or sister or a girlfriend so that’s why it’s important to me, ” adds volunteer Brandie Hoyt.

Chicks’ N Chaps started as a fun way to raise money for Tough Enough to Wear Pink Montana. Chicks’ n Chaps began in Missoula, Montana in 2008. Shannone Hart, who’s Mother was undergoing chemotherapy and a double mastectomy at the time, was introduced to Kyle Stensrud, Chairman of the Missoula Stampede. Kyle was on the board of the local Tough Enough to Wear Pink committee and had gone through breast cancer with his wife. The introduction of these 2 people would prove to be a massive success when it came to raising money and awareness for breast cancer.

Last year, Chicks’ N Chaps and Tough Enough to Wear Pink raised $32,000 dollars.

For more information on Chicks' N Chaps visit www.chicksnchaps.org

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