The horses are being rounded up, Elvis is ready to dance, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo clowns are puling out the greasepaint and the Goose Creek Cookers will be firing up the grill for the tenth anniversary celebration of the Baytown Special Rodeo.
Saturday, Sept. 10 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., this event for special needs youngsters will be kicking up the dust at Eastside Honda, located at 12527 IH-10 East in Mont Belvieu. This day of horseback riding courtesy of the Rocking Horse Riders riding club, games, barrel train rides, chocolate fountains, snow cones, a petting zoo of fuzzy farm animals and a chance to groove with Elvis himself, is ready to rock and roll. A chuck wagon lunch will be served midday.
Each year we spread the word of this event through the Special Education Departments of all the area school districts Goose Creek, Crosby, Highlands, Barbers HIll, Dayton, Liberty, Anahuac, Huffman, Hull-Daisetta and La Porte and the response is incredible, said J.R. Miller, president of the event sponsor, the Baytown Special Rodeo Association (BSRA). And each year we see almost 200 youngsters, their siblings and their parents who are excited to have a Western day of fun designed to meet their needs and limitations. We often see children from as far away as Katy and The Woodlands, and all are welcome.
Pat Robberson, who chairs Special Rodeo registrations, reports that more than 100 special needs children have already signed up. This event is free, and Roberson is urging participants to register by Sept. 1 in order to guarantee they will receive a Special Rodeo T-shirt. Each special needs youngster will also be given a cowboy hat, a badge and a handmade stick horse being produced for the event by members of BSRA.
Registration can be found on the organizations Web site, www.specialrodeo.com. Volunteers can also register at this Web site.
On Rodeo Day, each special needs child will be assigned a volunteer Rodeo Buddy, who will ensure the participant gets to take part in all the activities. Parents will be given the opportunity to share a day of fun with their other children.
Throughout this decade Special Rodeo has drawn support for all areas of the community, and this year will be no exception, Miller said. Each year, individuals and organizations, sponsor games, face-painting, photo booths, even clean-up crews and other helpers donate their time and money to make the event a success, and that effort is greatly appreciated.
We are always amazed at the support from the Baytown area and we hope it will continue for decades to come.