Helping Bull Riders or Helping Find a Cure? | Wild & Wicked Cowboys

Hi Friends,

As you?ve probably heard from all my excited Facebook posts, Tweets, and messages on Yahoo loops, my vampire cowboy erotic romance, This Cowboy Bites, is a second-round finalist in the All Romance eBook Just One Bite short story contest.

The contest?s grand prize is $1,000. An amazingly impressive amount ? to me, anyway. While I dream of all I could do with that money ? writing classes, promotional tschatchkes, and reader contests ? I want to do more with it. I want to give back.

Since I seem to have more time than money, I enjoy?volunteering as my way of making a difference. But I still try to donate to charities as often as possible. With a windfall of $1,000, I?d have?the perfect?opportunity to tithe; to share 10% with a needy organization.

My blog sisters directed me to these organizations:

In November of 1998, the Rider Relief Fund (initially known as the Resistol Relief Fund) was founded following Jerome Davis? collision with Jerry Nelson?s bull, Knock ?em Out John. Jerome?s injury was serious, and it ended his career as a bull rider. The outpouring of care and concern from friends, fans, sponsors, participants in and around the sport of bull riding, and members of the Professional Bull Riders Board of Directors resulted in the establishment of the Rider Relief Fund, a non-profit, 501(c)(3), organization.

?Today, the Rider Relief Fund continues its mission ? providing financial assistance to the human athletes injured in the sport of bull riding. The Rider Relief Fund supports athletes ? bull riders and bullfighters ? at all levels of competition, and bull riding is one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States.

As the sport grows, so does the need for the Rider Relief Fund. Technology and new materials have created many equipment inventions and improvements for the bull riders, bullfighters, and the bovine athletes. Personal protection gear is required at all levels of competition, but bones will still be broken.

When an athlete in the sport of bull riding is injured, their earning capability can literally vanish. Funding from the Rider Relief Fund provides the injured athlete and his family with assistance in meeting basic needs such as food, shelter, and utilities. Since 1998, the Rider Relief Fund has provided more than 450 athletes with assistance totaling over $1.4 million. Read more about Rider Relief Fund http://www.riderrelief.com/

Tough Enough to Wear Pink was created by entrepreneur and breast cancer survivor Terry Wheatley to bring the sport of professional rodeo and the western community together to rally against breast cancer. Terry realized from her own situation that early diagnosis and treatment was key to a successful outcome. She toyed with some ideas to rally the rodeo and western community to get that message across. And then the big one hit. What if, on one night of rodeo?s greatest spectacle ? the 2004 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas ? the competitors could be convinced to wear pink shirts? Not a color normally associated with rugged events such as bull riding and steer wrestling, but that was the point. That was how to make a statement. Broadcast on national television, no less. All she had to do was make it happen. In three weeks.

Terry needed to get the challenge out to the cowboys ? and fast. The Professional Rodeo Cowboy?s Association (PRCA) jumped in to help, disseminating information about the pink shirt campaign to the finalists.

The competitors and spectators turned the Thomas & Mack Arena into a sea of pink that night. To the thrill of Terry, Karl and everybody who helped make it happen, one after another pink-shirted cowboys and cowgirls galloped into the arena sporting the color of breast cancer awareness. The campaign received plenty of media attention, spreading the word even further.

Since its inception in 2004, TETWP has empowered rodeos and western events in the U.S. and Canada to focus attention on the need for a cure. To date, the campaign has raised $5 million dollars for breast cancer charities, much of which stays right in the community. The grassroots movement has inspired other sports communities to mount their own TETWP campaigns, spreading a message of hope and support that reaches beyond the rodeo arena to competitors, families and fans across America. Read more about Tough Enough To Wear Pink http://www.toughenoughtowearpink.com/

My challenge is to choose a charity, and I?d love to have your help. Which of these organizations speaks to you? Are there other similar organizations that you?d like to suggest?

All my best,
Randi
RandiAlexander.com
Chase and Seduction is available at The Wild Rose Press

If you haven?t voted for your favorite story in the Just One Bite Contest and would like to, here?s the link. This week is round two, and there are three more rounds after this. The best part is, when you go to All Romance eBook?s site, you get to read all 16 paranormal short stories. Thanks for your help. I?m excited to hear which charity you think most deserves?my donation.

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I?ve been writing romance fiction for years, but have just become passionate about erotic romances. My first erotic manuscript, Chase and Seduction, is available from The Wild Rose Press - Wilder Catalog - Cowboy Kink line.

Source: http://wildandwickedcowboys.wordpress.com/2011/10/10/3182/

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