Round Up

Wednesday, April 17, 2019 — Red Bluff Daily News 3 MAKING FRIENDS AND HELPING OTHERS Red Bluff Round-Up benefits youth, other organizations By Ruth Nicolaus e Red Bluff Round-Up is a fun place to be, the third weekend in April. But it's also a giving place. e Round-Up's board of directors, its general manager, and its hundreds of volunteers believe in giving back. Last year, the nine- ty-seventh year for the Round-Up, over $150,000 was donated to groups, youth, and a variety of associations throughout the North State. One of those groups benefitting from the Round-Up is Wings of Angels. Officially called the Alyssa Araiza Wings of Angels organiza- tion (named aer its founders Dan and Donna Araiza's daugh- ter, Alyssa, who passed away as a child), the group comes alongside families with children suffering with pediatric cancer or life-threaten- ing illness. It gives funds to families, to help with groceries, fuel, utility and phone bills, and more. For the past two years, children with ill- nesses, and their fam- ilies, are guests of the Red Bluff Round-Up, and the Round-Up has helped raise funds for Wings of Angels. e kids love it, said Donna Araiza. ey enjoy the chance to be spectators at the Round-Up, and the ro- deo family embraces the kids, greeting them and taking time to talk with them. Two of the boys now dress like cowboys and follow their new rodeo friends on Face- book. "We made con- nections with cowboys," Araiza said. "e rodeo family treats these kids like they are their own family." is year, funds raised from the Round- Up's annual volunteer appreciation night will go towards sending a Wings of Angel youth to Las Vegas in December as part of the Golden Circle of Champions. Participating youth in the Golden Circle, all with life-threatening ill- nesses, are treated to a performance of the Na- tional Finals Rodeo, a variety of gis, and are matched up with a pro rodeo cowboy or cow- girl. Another group that benefits from the Round-Up is the col- lege athletes at Simpson University. is will be the third year that athletes from a variety of teams at Simpson, in Redding, Calif., will work as ticket scanners, ushers and in the parking area for the Round-Up. In return for their volunteering, the Round-Up makes a do- nation to Simpson's ath- letic department. Wayne Stower, head coach for the soball team, says the athletes enjoy it. "Being able to help out, the kids ben- efit from it. It's a great way for us to help the rodeo people. We're ap- preciative that they let us come and help." Some of the women got to ride horses last year, at the Round-Up, and "they really enjoyed that," Stower said. "We have a lot of cowgirls at heart." Last year, the Round- Up donated to a variety of groups, organizations and causes, from the Camp Fire victims to Paradise High School Athletic Dept., from the California Junior High School Finals Rodeo to the Tehama District Fair. For more infor- mation, visit the website www.Red- B l u f f R o u n d u p . c o m or call the office at 530.527.1000. Photos courtesy Donna Araiza A father poses with his children at the 2018 Red Bluff Round-Up. As part of the Wings of Angels group, the family attended the Round-Up. The son now dresses like a cowboy and has made friends with rodeo people. A little cowboy in a wheelchair watches last year's Red Bluff Round-Up. As part of the Wings of Angels group, he has a life-threatening illness. The Round-Up helps raise funds for Wings of Angels, a charity group that raises funds for families with children with serious illnesses.

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