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The Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund
79 Plays4 months ago
In this episode of the Kick Your Boots Up podcast, we chat with Julie Jutten, General Manager of the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund (JCCF) and Managing Partner of Jutten Marketing & Events. With a background in communications from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Julie shares her journey into the nonprofit sector, driven by a passion for helping others. She discusses the JCCF's mission to provide need-based financial assistance to injured professional rodeo athletes, emphasizing that help is available to all, regardless of membership status. Julie recounts memorable moments, shares success stories, and highlights the impact of fundraising events like the Cowboy Downhill and Las Vegas Luncheon & Style Show. She also offers insights on how listeners can get involved with the JCCF and provides valuable advice for those interested in working in the nonprofit sector. This episode is a must-listen for anyone inspired by leadership and community impact in the rodeo world.
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Transcript
Introduction and Guest Introduction
00:00:00
Speaker
Hi, everybody. And thanks for listening to another episode of the kick your boots up podcast. If you like what you see, and even if you don't feel free to like subscribe, share this with your friends, tell everyone about it. We want you to have your feedback and to be able to have the opportunity to tell us who you want to hear and what stories you want to hear. So please feel free to do that.
00:00:19
Speaker
And without further ado, I have got to introduce you to one of my good friends. We have a history, and I'm so excited to talk about that a little bit. This is Julie Dutton. She's currently the general manager at the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund, and that is one hat that you wear. But another hat that Julie gets to wear is the owner and managing partner of Julie Jutton Marketing and Events. And I think that's really cool too, because there's a lot to learn from Julie. She has um a lot of years in the industry. And so without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, Julie Jutton. Thank you. So glad to be here. I appreciate it. of course thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule I understand today you guys had meetings yes we had um our annual summer board meeting and I went very well we have a great board and they work so hard and they have such a great heart for the crisis one so these board meetings aren't usually very tough
00:01:07
Speaker
I can imagine just the energy that you guys all share in the passion. And we'll have to talk about the JCCF in a little bit. But before we do, you guys know how it works. We want to hear more about
Julie's Career Journey
00:01:16
Speaker
you. So tell us about you and your upbringing and how it brought you to rodeo to begin with. Then we'll talk about how you got to the JCCF. Yeah, it's um I grew up in a small town um in Colorado, southwest Colorado. um My parents had a ranch, and they owned a um a a farm supply store in town. And um I kind of laughed growing up. I like didn't get into the Western way of life at all. I um i played tennis and was like really kind of a city girl as as much as you could be in my little town. And and then I grew up and and work in rodeo. And I sure wish that my parents still had that farm supply store so I could.
00:01:52
Speaker
get more a boots from Justin and Jeans. ah That's right, good answer. but um yeah I segued into Rodeo via college. I studied sports marketing and um worked for a hockey team for a period of time. and ah ended up over at the Proteo Hall of Fame and just sort of moved around through the PRCA um structure and had a great time and I did so many different things there um and I think that's one thing why I started my own business is that i I just wore so many different hats at PRCA and I learned to do so many different things and so um it it has made operating my business a lot easier.
00:02:32
Speaker
And actually, it's cool that you brought that up because I first met you whenever you were over the outreach program at the PRCA, which included camps. Yes, yeah, yes. So under um the leadership of Carl Stressman, who was a previous PRCA commissioner, and a Kick Your Boots Up podcast guest, you'll find his episode. Oh, I bet that was fun.
00:02:51
Speaker
He's my favorite. ah So yeah he um started this industry outreach division at PRCA and um I worked in that department and we did start a youth rodeo like education initiative outreach program and um we we spoke about that in our board meeting today actually because we just helped a kid who got injured at a rodeo that was got his start in rodeo at those rodeo camps.
00:03:14
Speaker
um Here at the Fort Worth Rodeo, he was the cutest little kid and now he's, you know, he's an adult and he's a professional rodeo bareback rider and we're just delighted to see that. So yeah, that was that was a great program and that is where we met because we were doing Little Britches work together, right? That's right. Yes, on camera again. Yes.
Passion for the Cowboy Crisis Fund
00:03:32
Speaker
You know, you're going to stop answering my calls one day. Maybe. Every time I call, I'm like, Julie, do you want to be on camera? No.
00:03:39
Speaker
But I always show up. Yes, you do. And I i appreciate that, because it shows a lot about your heart, too. Even like the roles that you've had. My favorite um opportunity to run into you is in Vegas, whenever you're doing work for the Justin Capital Crisis Fund for their fundraiser. They are their silent auction. And even their ladies. I mean, all the events that they have going on there. So your heart is so big. And thank you it says a lot about you. but Thank you. I want to back up just a little bit, because I can't let you go on without talking more about your time working with a hockey team. it Correct me if I'm wrong. Something with the Olympics at one point, right? Oh, yeah. yeah So right out of college, um I had actually been interning with a minor league hockey team. And so I worked for them out of college. and And that was super fun. And I actually compare a lot of what I learned during hockey to working in professional rodeo. I think there's a lot of um symmetry and similarities between the athletes.
00:04:31
Speaker
um And it's, I think, a for the love of the game kind of thing between hockey and rodeo. And so that that is it ties in nicely. um But there was a point in my career when I did leave PRCA for a short stint. I went to work for ah USA Figure Skating. Oh, Figure Skating. That's what it was. Yes. And ah there was a gentleman there that was their chief marketing officer. And I had seen him speak at a conference. And I just thought, you know, I want to work for that guy. I bet I could
Career Insights and Advice
00:04:57
Speaker
learn a lot.
00:04:57
Speaker
So I did, I left, I applied for a job there and went over for, I didn't, I made it a year at figure skating and I i learned as much as I could from him. And and then actually Carl Stressman ah became the commissioner of PRCA and had started that new department and so asked if I would have come back and and I did. And so, um but you figure skating and the Olympics, that's another, that's a tough,
00:05:23
Speaker
It's a tough group. I mean, again, for the love of the sport. you know They work really hard. And um it's always good um for your for your career. And just as ah as a human, I think, to be exposed to.
00:05:36
Speaker
different types of sport and different types of work and so I enjoyed my time there as well but I was certainly happy to get back to rodeo too. I bet and that's kind of cool too from my perspective looking at like the things that you could learn and then bring it back to rodeo too because it a lot of it does translate they're saying they're all athletes they all have the same problems but maybe different whether it be their gear or whatever they need training coaches preparation all about so that's cool for you on the marketing side to then also kind of correlate that as well bringing somewhat of what you know from the industry here and then also bringing some of your rodeo knowledge to the figure skating or wherever so there's a lot of people out there right now currently that do that I know a lot of my friends have um just graduated college and they had every intention they have an ag degree every intention of going into the ag industry and then end up working pharmaceutical cells mainstream and loving it and doing different things so yeah um I think it's I agree I did know that it's really cool to have the versatility I enjoyed it. It was it was all, um you know, you sometimes are working somewhere and you don't know why you're there. And then, you know, years later, you can recall on a memory or an experience and know, okay, I learned a lesson and it's going to help me. It's going to help me right now. So. Oh, without a doubt. And it's so crazy that you said that exact thing, too, because I was just talking off camera with our producer, Juan, so got to give him a shout out. And we were talking about like things that have happened to us in our in our past careers. And did you grow from it? Were you stronger from it? And so I cannot commend you enough. That is so cool. Everything that you learn, even internships, I preach that probably to all of the listeners out there. The internships are so big that you need to grow. and um so
00:07:09
Speaker
I guess I'm going to, this is going to kind of lead me to my next question for you. What is your best piece of advice for someone that is in the internship phase or they just graduated college or they're about to graduate college and they are job hunting or maybe they've even been in the industry for 30 years and they want to find a new job or whatever. What's your best piece of advice for them?
Managing Business and Personal Life
00:07:25
Speaker
And then I'll have another question after that. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Actually, I think you already ah said said the answer. I definitely think it's internships. I think, um,
00:07:34
Speaker
Think that's the best way to get in somewhere and learn and I think it's really important for young people or or even if you're changing careers um Like go in and learn from the people who are there like they've ah likely tried a lot of stuff and failed and tried and been successful and so I think it's important to have those experiences and and always be learning, you know, I think um We want to go into places and we want to be confident and secure and you know we we want to go into a good job, but there's just so much to learn from the people who came before. I worked somewhere early on when I was in college and it had nothing to do with sports marketing, but I remember the company was called Optica and they were always looking for people who had Optica experience. and I just remember that. It was like, we want people who understand
00:08:20
Speaker
our business and our structure and how we're laid out. And so it's not always that you know how to you know market or do accounting. It's like they want somebody that can fit into the culture of the company. And so I think that's my number one advice is go in and learn and um not be afraid to wear many hats. Offer to volunteer for other departments if there's something going on. um and Just wherever you can step in and help out because you're going to be able to draw on that experience for your whole career.
00:08:47
Speaker
That is such solid advice. and And I can totally back that up because in my past life, I guess you would say, my past job, um it was a startup company. And so I learned to wear many different hats in one day. But I'm so thankful for it because now I can come to this job where there is a hat for every about Europe, I guess a head for every hat. And um it's so much nicer because you can really hone in on your skill and yes stuff like that. Yeah, so it's perfect. Yeah.
00:09:12
Speaker
Thank you for that advice. Every time you come, you always leave such good nuggets, no matter where we're at, whether whether it's little bitches or here. I so appreciate that. um But my follow up to that then is what's your best piece of advice then from your perspective as a business owner? Because you own your own agency, you at times have had to manage several people and then also manage different projects. JCCF is just one hat. yeah You keep saying that. but um You have so many different. So what's your best piece of advice there? That's a little tougher, actually. yeah That's a little tougher. I manage my business a little differently. ah And what is great about what I'm doing is that when I left and opened my agency, I wanted to pick projects that were important to me and projects that I wanted to work on. um And knowing you know when you own your own business, you like work all the time. And so I think for me, I want to work um with clients and um organizations that I share there their ideology and what it is that they they sell or make or do. And so um I think that when you're doing what you love,
00:10:18
Speaker
It's just easier. And so if you can find a way to find a job you love, it's just going to be so much easier. And it doesn't work out for everybody. And owning your own businesses is certainly not. I don't know that I'm built for it. It's it's tough work. and You are. Well, I try. But it's you know it's um it's not for the faint of heart, for sure. yeah And so um like every day could be different. and um And that actually makes it exciting and makes you want to get up and go. And i in in what I do i you know today is completely a Justin cowboy crisis fun day. And I love that. um But when we're done here, I have a call to talk about butterflies and art. And so it's just very ah different and eclectic. And I love that. so That is the beauty of it. And you never get bored. If anything else, get bored. There's always something.
00:11:06
Speaker
And you really ah learn a lot. I think managing your time and like making yourself do those things you don't want to do. like I don't want to do bookkeeping and I don't want to do accounting and I don't want to file, but I have to. That's so good. Force yourself to do those tasks you don't want to do or maybe hire someone to do them. But, right? like just yeah Uncle Sam says you have to do some of these things. I mean, do you have to? Apparently, they frown upon it if you don't. so No, I'm totally kidding. that A lot of people don't get to see that side of it. like They see you as the general manager of the Justin Calvi Crisis Fund, and they get to see some of the glamour that comes with that. yeah But they don't see the hours behind the scenes. yeah Planning the events, working i mean with the board. You have to continue to keep up with them with everything you do. So talk about that a little bit, not necessarily for JCCF, but like the behind the scenes then of like managing the different brands that you do. Yeah, yeah, sure. Especially with JCCF, it's funny that you said people don't, they like sometimes just see the glamour side of it. I have a friend who just saw a picture on Instagram um where I was at a rodeo in the arena doing a big check presentation
Focus on the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund
00:12:13
Speaker
and I love the big checks. We are, we love getting the donations from the committees and and we need the money to help the Cowboys, but there's nothing better than one of those big presentation checks. So anyway, she's like, I never knew what she did for work and I saw you in the arena. And I was like, oh, well that's not really what we do, but.
00:12:31
Speaker
There's a little more to it. And with um the crisis fund or any other client, it's sort of need-based. And so you know when there's a need with a client, you have to be available. And so a lot of um prioritizing. I do a lot of events. And so you know planning to ahead and um trying to get beyond where I need to be so that I can focus on an event maybe that I'm working or a fundraiser we're doing, but also like behind the scenes, you know sending invites or doing social media posts. or whatever needs to be done to promote the next event is it's sort of always ongoing. It's always something to always something and one thing that I find hard is we're always thinking let's say a quarter ahead or a few weeks ahead we're always in a different month than we actually are even this podcast by the time we get it flipped and turn around I'm thinking it's gonna be a month from now you know so
00:13:20
Speaker
um How do you balance being like three months ahead, planning the NFR, planning the event or whatever, and then also living in today's moments where you have a board meeting to prep for, how do you juggle that? Do you ever forget what day it is? Sometimes, yeah. I actually can't believe we're already, I think it's the middle of July, so not sure how that happened. I love how you said I think, because I have the same way. I think.
00:13:44
Speaker
I am a big lister so I have lists everywhere and a few years ago it's sort of a it's not even a new strategy it's sort of a silly one it reminds me of elementary school or like high school but you know the big um like white um board like a paper board and you like tear it off and there's like the sticky back but it's like poster size yes so during busy season if you come into my office there are like 30 of those that cover the whole wall, each event that's coming up. but this mean I'm thinking like NFR in fall. I've got some rodeos I do and a lot of NFR work. And so each event has they're um a title across the top and there's a check mark. And I just love crossing off a task that's been done. And so i you know throughout the year, I use lists and I list. But during big events and very busy seasons, i need to it needs to be smaller or bigger, I'm sorry, than a notebook. on my desk, so those big boards work great, so they're all over, and it just sort of keeps me on track, and as soon as I think of something, oh, we need to, and it just gets added to the list. Again, I do love crossing things off the list, so sometimes if I do a project that's not on the list, I will write it down and cross it off.
00:14:53
Speaker
It's very gratifying. I'm the same way. I don't know what that's about, but it makes me feel like I'm getting a lot done. Especially because some things take forever. So it's like, you know what? that's but I spent my whole day on the phone with AT and&T or something. yeah I'm going to check that out.
00:15:09
Speaker
Yes, yes. It's my favorite. Oh, man. so I
Community Involvement and Support
00:15:13
Speaker
love that so much. And we're almost out of time on this segment. But before we do kind of take a break, I want to ask you more about you because you you balance everything so well. And what I'm hearing is it sounds like you're just really great at time management, which I am not. So I totally am like an Avi right now.
00:15:29
Speaker
Oh, whenever you're not busy, yeah so whenever you're not dividing these different yeah organizations, what do you do for fun? Who's Julie? what What do you do? How do you fill your cup? The worst question. but It really is. I work a lot. um you know I love to travel. um I have ah some family and friends that are world travelers, and I'm motivated and spot and inspired by people who travel the world. and so um the last few years I've really been trying to hone in on that and travel and even when I go on a work trip I've never been the best about like taking it in where I'm at and enjoying something local and so I've really started to try to do that because I do travel quite a bit for work and I think about all the places I've been in. Like, I didn't go check out anything local. And so I've been in makeup for it now. So yeah I have um a big trip planned to Antarctica. whoa Yes. And so it's not until 2026. But I'm going to Antarctica, folks. And everyone ah there's a rodeo announcer that it makes him laugh so much. He ah he keeps texting and calling with ah little factoids about Antarctica.
00:16:38
Speaker
Maybe he's trying to convince you not to go. I think so, yeah. He says it's cold. I invited him and his family, but they they don't seem to want to go. I don't know. I don't know why. I can't imagine. It's cold or something. I'm going during their summer, so it should be nice. But um i do I do try to travel, and I take ah time with my family very seriously and enjoy the heck out of them. Very blessed, and I enjoy time at home when I get there. um So yeah, I just relish that time. Yeah.
00:17:07
Speaker
Yeah, and one thing that I can really relate to you on is I have a little dog you have a little dog too Yes about your dog and how nice it is just having her as a co-worker. Oh, I don't know Riley rue. She's like employee of the month um You can follow her on Instagram by the way Riley the Shih Tzu. Oh my god ah She's so ridiculous. The world revolves around Riley, and my folks watch her when I travel mostly. I don't trust people with her, so it's like very few people. I totally get that, yes. We call it Carla. We have a girl, too. Yes. So I was at the college finals this summer, and I get a picture, and my dog has a ball pit. For dogs, this big pit with hundreds of balls, and they're like,
00:17:51
Speaker
We just bought her a ball pit. And this is the dog's grandparents at this point, too. Oh, yeah, yeah. G-Paw and Gigi, like, take great care of Riley. It's a little embarrassing. She's like, she's not going to want to come home now, thanks. Yeah, and she doesn't. She loves my dad more than me, I'm sure. So, yeah, it's fun. She always barks when I'm on a conference call. Always, well. Always, yep. But she's part of the team, so. She keeps the, like brings down the anxiety and the like, they're good for, I think they're good for emotional health. Definitely. That's very huge. I totally agree with that. My husband and I didn't have a dog when we first got married and don't get me wrong, your first years of marriage are awesome, but they're also very hard. Right. And we grew up on like farms in the country, very relatable to you, you know, and you always had something to take care of. So once we decided to get a dog, that was probably the best decision we could have made because we're like, Hey, we have something else to focus on together. It completes the family. It's definitely mental. They're great. They can sense your moods too. They can. They can. Oh, she's a hoot. I love when she barks when I'm on calls. If I have important calls, I arrange for babysitting. Figure out a treat. We always just toss her a treat or something. My dog's not food motivated. Oh, really? No, no. She's play motivated. She wants to play 24-7. I don't know where that energy comes from. So we love her. Aw, for sure. Yeah, she's great. It's been so good getting to know you this part. And when we come back, you guys, we're going to take a break. But when we come back, we're going to get to know all about the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund. And there's going to be some trivia. So stay tuned.
00:19:31
Speaker
I can't believe it. I was just talking to my niece the other day who's going to be in fourth grade this year. That's also not believable. And she reminded me that school is starting soon. And that kind of got me thinking about my time shopping for back to school. And there were so many good memories wrapped around that with, you know, buying the new shoes, the new backpack, lunchbox, whatever it was. And I just remember the stores being so crazy. So this year, save time, save money, beat the crowd. Go to JustinBoots dot.com and use code KYBU15 to receive 15% off your next back to school purchase. That's code KYBU15.
00:20:05
Speaker
Hey everybody, and thanks again for listening to the Kick Your Roots Up podcast. We're here with Julie, and now we get to talk about the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund. This is an organization that I hope you're familiar with, but if you're not, buckle up, put your hat down tight, because this is gonna be really cool to learn. And Julie, your passion for the JCCF is unmatched. There's only ah probably the board members. You and the board members share the passion and of that caliber. So to start us off, um people that aren't familiar with the JCCF,
00:20:34
Speaker
Tell us about it. What is it? um Because I know and you know, but right tell the world. OK, OK. We are a 501c3 that was started in 1989. And our sole mission is to help injured cowboys who are injured during professional rodeo competition. And um the reason it was started is that professional rodeo athletes, unlike an NFL player, they they don't have injured reserve. So if you get injured and you're out, you are not making any money at rodeo.
00:21:00
Speaker
And if you have a job, a non-rodeo job that you work, which a lot of our cowboys do, um and you're injured, most of those injuries leave you unable to work as well. So we created this foundation in 1989. This is our 35th year. So we're excited about that. work Congrats. Thank you. We have a few fun things we're toying with for NFR. So look for us out there on that. But um that that is what we do. is It's actually pretty simple. So you get injured at a professional rodeo.
00:21:29
Speaker
You apply for Crisis Fund. There's there's a few you know policies and procedures. and um but But really, we're here to help you with monthly living expenses while you're out recovering.
00:21:39
Speaker
And I think the biggest misconception with that is that you have to be a professional rodeo athlete um and and all the things. So I think it's really neat that you guys truly do help everyone at a professional rodeo event, whatever that is, um whatever level. um It goes a long ways. And I'm sure you've seen some cases or you've you've heard some pretty hard horror stories, seen the things. um And so tell us about some stories that you remember you can recall of like,
00:22:07
Speaker
just I don't know how impactful it was to you and noticing that like wow I really me as Julie get to see the impact of this organization yeah firsthand. You know it's almost um there's too really too many examples to name um just because um when we get an application you know it's need-based and so when we're able to help somebody who's really in need ah you know especially those those cowboys you know whether they're they're single or have families knowing that they're not going to lose their home, they're going to be able to feed their kid, feed their horses. you know i mean's really There's a big impact when you lose your income for a period of time and so um it is always rewarding to hear from the Cowboys after we approve assistance and most of them stay in touch with us and we'll just about do anything we ask them to do. They're they're just great supporters of the fund and
00:22:55
Speaker
um And it's life changing, and that's always so rewarding. um you know As time has changed, with the way we communicate has changed, and so there was ah you know an era when we would get a lot of like handwritten like letters and cards, and those we we still get a few of those from time to time, but you know we're in different times. And so we get a lot of text messages and a lot of social media. And and that's really where you see the appreciation. you know One other area is we've got a lot of cowboys that want to give back. So after they've had assistance, um they do just really tremendous things for us. And you know whether they raise a bunch of money at a fundraiser or whether they just
00:23:35
Speaker
talk about us along the road you know the the PR is you can't put a price tag on that to JCCF so you know as they share their JCCF story or JCCF testimony as I often call it um it's so good for organization.
00:23:49
Speaker
It is, and I really love seeing, I'll use Laramoo Moseley as an example. He's on Team Justin, and um I think part of the conversation of how he got to be on Team Justin was the way that he reacted once he received the needs-based assistance. you know It was really cool to see that, and our video production team was really appreciative that he was ah you know volunteering and willing to go on camera and talk about it. and yeah You're right. There is a a very good um value add that they give. And I would even say, this is me speaking obviously, you probably couldn't say this, but that's okay. um That a lot of like, in it let's say NFL guys and stuff, they're not very quick to talk about things like that. So I think it's really cool that um the Cowboys definitely do circle back and give back. and um
00:24:29
Speaker
One story that in particular that I remember hearing is um one of the Cowboys has some kids, and the kids raise money somehow, whether that be a lemonade stand, I forgot what they did, but um they then gave some of their money back to the JCCF, and I think that is awesome. yeah I think that's so cool that the kids even have like a buy-in to it. you know They understand. right um I think sometimes those adult conversations happen around your children. And so I'm sure the children heard how how that impacted their families and that they wanted to give back. That's a great story. um We often get, I'm thinking of Tanner Oz off the top of my head right now. Tanner, it's been many years. He's been healthy and well for a long time and he's just you know doing great this season. but
00:25:11
Speaker
Um, after he had assistance, he did a t-shirt campaign for the next couple of years, um, going into NFR. So they'd have in a little NFR send off party for him and he would do a t-shirt and sell it and give them money back. And wow you know, that these, these cowboys and cowgirls are really just very talented and they do a lot of.
00:25:28
Speaker
other things that aren't rodeo, and so when they can give back, it's always really nice. We just came from a fundraiser in Prescott over the 4th of July for JCCF. um they did ah They did an outstanding job. They do an event called um Wine, Women, and Whiskey, and it's super fun. It's just like a lady's... little ladies luncheon with a live auction and a silent auction and wow um I sent out a text to I don't know 30 guys and gals and said hey I'm doing a little video testimonial will you send me a quick video um that I can you know plug in and and I love watching. I couldn't use them all. You know, everyone responded with a nice video and just to hear them talk about how life changing the crisis fund was for them um or or some of them, you know, it wasn't just them. It was our friends had been helped. And in fact, I interviewed one gentleman and he said, I'm traveling with a guy that you guys helped like 12 years ago. and And I didn't, I interviewed him and it was just wonderful. So yeah, it's yeah.
00:26:29
Speaker
And I mean, so humbling for you to be on the receiving end because, you know, us everyday Joe's though that don't get to be a part of the board members or board meetings and don't see um the needs come in and all the details because we're not privy to that. We don't need to be. um But it's it's cool for you to then show your your um your story and perspective of it, too, because that goes a long ways of like.
00:26:51
Speaker
Yeah, we ah we take a lot of pride in what we do. And um we do donate 100% of all of our donations to our Cowboys. So through the support of the Justin Boot Company and the Professional Audio Cowboys Association, um all operating costs are covered and or services are donated so that we can operate that way. And so um ah you know I always say it's you know we're we're going to be a good steward of your donation. And so it's always a great place to donate to.
00:27:17
Speaker
um But you you know you just ah you talk to one of these guys one time and you just know, like this is where my money needs to to go. this is a great as ah As a rodeo fan as well, you know I recognize in having worked in other sports as well, there's just a big need for support. And um our tagline is always, it's a hand up, not a hand out.
00:27:40
Speaker
Which I love, by the way. I love it too. It's so good. and And I think our recipients are great stories of that in the in their giving back to us. Oh, definitely. so yeah It's perfect. And with the rodeo industry being like a tough industry, a lot of them could see, like, ah their pride could get in the way of like, I don't need help. I don't want to be a burden, whatever it is. Insert whatever here. right you're that That right there bret right out of the gate with your slogan, your tagline saying like, no, it's just helping you get through. yeah That goes so far with them. It does. And I would say it' to any cowboy watching right now or cowgirl,
00:28:16
Speaker
um We're here to help you. And so if you're, if you've had a rodeo accident, you need help, please apply. Don't let your pride get in the way. um We don't want you to lose your house or your horse or any, we want to feed your kids. And so please apply. If you, if you are in need, that's why we're here. And, um, there's no sense in.
00:28:37
Speaker
There's no sense in suffering. So no yeah, and you got to keep the lights on, right? That's right. That's right. Yeah. Yeah. One guy actually sent us a thank you note that talked about being able to feed their pets and it was like, oh Oh my goodness. And so, you know, you think about they they're putting their pets before themselves and like, these are the kind of people we work with and it's so rewarding. And you probably saw that more so than I, whenever you were at the PRCA of like how much these athletes put treat they treat their animals as athletes. Even the rough stock riders, they'll talk about these bulls and broncs. They are um like the coolest person in the room or something. And I love that energy because yeah they you definitely know, OK, no, before this cowboy or cowgirl goes to bed, they're horses, animals, everything. They're they're all eating way better than our grilled cheese or something that we just had.
00:29:27
Speaker
They are. i think that's some I wish more people in the world could see that side of Rodeo because that is a fact. yeah um I remember during COVID um speaking with stock contractors about you know how they were getting their animals taken care of and the sacrifices they were making to take care of their livestock. and I wish the world somehow, if we could get that message out to every single person about Rodeo, it's We had a lot of big hearts and a lot of animal lovers, so. Oh, definitely. And we talked about money a little bit in an event and fundraising. So I'm going to kind of get back into that because that was personally my favorite part whenever I was traveling as much as Oklahoma, getting to see what rodeos were having fundraisers and what was going on. And so tell me a little bit about that before we do, though. How much have you guys been able to give over time? Yeah, we have given out um over nine point six million dollars. so
00:30:21
Speaker
wow Um, we are super excited to get to the 10 million mark. Um, that will be a very rewarding day for us. yeah So though we don't want Cowboys and cowgirls to get injured. So stay healthy and stay well, but, um, it just, that's a, that's a big number. And, and you know that it's helped a lot of families. So yeah, especially, I mean, I would be impressed with 1 million, but 9.6 that's incredible. It's great. Okay, so with these events you you have to have fun, I guess you don't have to, but you rely heavily on fundraisers and donations and organizations wanting to get together to help out. So tell me about some of the events that you've seen or heard of. Yeah, of course. So ah we do rely on the generosity of the rodeo industry to raise money for the crisis fund. It's a necessity.
00:31:07
Speaker
um And because we do the 100% of donations to our cause, we don't have an operating budget to plan fundraisers ourselves. So we rely on donors and fundraisers to do the events for us. And we love to help with your event. We love to promote it. and We promote it through the Justin cowboy crisis fund. Oftentimes the Justin boot company picks it up and shares it. So, um you know, there's, there's certainly power in numbers, but um the fundraisers are our favorite because it gives us an opportunity to interact with people that we wouldn't meet otherwise.
00:31:36
Speaker
Yeah, so um I know ah I can't mention them all but I will mention a few So um there is the priority League of women. They are one of our um ah They are probably the largest single fundraiser have I don't have their stats ah Off the top of my head, but they raise over a hundred thousand every year for us at a luncheon in Las Vegas It's a wild you have been yes, okay ah so You know we get there really early in the morning we work we work for months on it and the week of the event we check into the South Point on Monday and we work all week long till Thursday and And then like a thousand women show up and we have this wild fashion show and we raise a lot of money and um Tracy Hiedemann and Stacy Custer are the co-chairs of that event they have ah run it for a long time and they do a great job and So that's a wonderful event. It's in Vegas, so it's easy to get involved for people who are out there. But a lot of people don't travel to Las Vegas for NFR, and there's a lot of other ways to help. So ah you know we we partner with um you know Prescott Frontier Days. I mentioned them. Yes. They have come on in the last few years and have um their their general manager is a i retired professional saddle bronc rider and has a great passion for um these rodeo athletes and helping them stay stay well and he knows the hardships that they can incur. so he has They do three fundraisers for us a year now and um they they've just done a tremendous job. so That's a fun group to work with.
00:33:04
Speaker
But they plan a cornhole tournament, they plan the luncheon that I mentioned a minute ago, the wine whiskey and women. But then there's other ways to raise money for us that don't require a ton of work or an event. So, you know, St. Paul, Oregon has their world famous tech room and they donate all of the tips from that bar to us and they have celebrity bartenders come in and it's a big deal. It's so fun up there. So if you have not been to that rodeo, put it on your bucket list. It's on mine. I want to go. It's so great. It's so great. But they'll collect over 40 grand in tips. Wow. And we get all of that. And so there's golf tournaments, and cornhole tournaments, and there's pancake breakfast, and silent auctions. Like committees, rodeo committees just do a great job for us.
00:33:56
Speaker
they They get to interact with those cowboys, usually through hospitality and other ways during the rodeo. And so they have built friendships with them and know that there's this need. And so we're just ah tickled. you know we We love the support, and we just can't thank them enough, really.
00:34:12
Speaker
Yeah, no, it's so big and it's for me really inspiring to see what they do because it's not just one person saying hey Let's do this It's a group of volunteers that have they have no benefit from it other than they are truly doing it out of the goodness of their heart, right? And that's to that to me is like the coolest thing. that they They could even just be a Rodeo fan. They could have no involvement with Rodeo um and just have such a large passion for it and helping the Cowboys and all of that. that um Yeah, they they then get to invest their time, which also helps them buy into the JCCF.
00:34:44
Speaker
um With that though, there's so many ways to donate. um You can mail in, yep you can donate online donate online, you can mail us a check, um you can ah participate in one of the fundraisers. Our website is justincalboycrisisfund.org and we are all over the socials at Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund and there's a donate now button on all of those sites.
00:35:03
Speaker
i guess there is ah You know, we do get, we get mostly, you know, digital, like online donations where there are still people who um mail checks and um we do, ah you know, like we accept memorial donations and tribute donations. So it's also a great way to honor, you know, a loved one who has passed or, so or somebody that you love that has done something tremendous and you just want to recognize them. So we take tribute donations as well.
00:35:27
Speaker
I love that so much, actually. That reminds me of a story that I've heard. And I won't say who told me this, because I don't know that they would love that I'm telling everyone, because that's just how humble they are. But anytime something happens in the industry to their friend, they pass away, they get inducted, or whatever. He'll send in a check. He'll send in money. And that is just such a cool thing for me. That's inspired my husband and I. you know We'll start doing that from time to time now, like at the end of the month. Oh, we have a little extra money. Let's do something about it. you know and Even just locally, to our own charities and stuff. like that's just so cool the people that are out there and um I really encourage you personally seeing firsthand what they do I've been out on the rodeo road with them I've seen the organizations and then I've also seen the Cowboys get heard and how it's impacted them and stuff um I can't sing enough praises about it and so that's so big and I am so appreciative of you being here to talk about it and so before we go though I have
00:36:18
Speaker
two things one thing if you've made it this far and you're listening I would love to send you something a freebie of something it'll be a surprise so comment below and tell us how much money the Justin cowboy crisis fund has raised if you missed it go back a little bit you can also look on their website which then will lead you to the donate button so feel free to donate if you want to but um Anyways, let us know, comment below, and um then we'll reach out to you and get your address and send you something fun. I can't tell you what it is, otherwise you wouldn't do it. No, I'm just kidding. No, it is it is though really big. You're going to want to um do that. So anyways, comment below, tell us what you think. And before we go, Julie, the question for you is um overall, what's your biggest takeaway personally from the JCCF?
00:37:01
Speaker
If you were on an elevator and you had five seconds, I don't know, not that short, but a small amount of time to tell someone about the JCCF, what do you think you would say? What does it mean to you? Oh, well first, before I answer that question, am I eligible to get the prize? yeah If I comment below. okay Here, we'll give you this mug. Thank you for being on the podcast. thank you You're the serious question. um I have five seconds. i'm going to um I'm going to tell people that I work for a great charity that um raises money and gives 100% back to injured cowboys. and
00:37:38
Speaker
you know cowboys are The so Western lifestyle in general, yeah a lot of people think it's a dying breed or you know the cities are taking over and I just don't think it is. I think we have a- I don't buy that either. i mean Not at all. We have a great group. we have it's It's great to work with these these committees, these athletes, these sponsors. and um I would encourage people to look into finding a charity that they're going to love and support because it's a it's a necessity in our day and time um is to to be a part and and we are also to be good stewards with what we are given. And so I think um you know picking a charity that is important to you and meets your values and standards I think is important and I think we're all called to do that. So I would certainly encourage people to consider the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund. I think um we do great work and our cowboys are so thankful, so.
00:38:36
Speaker
without a doubt. That was so well said, and I can tell your passion right there, Julie. And I encourage you, and even we'll spur you on through all of this if you're listening, too. One thing my husband and I have started doing is instead of Christmas gifts, we'll find kids in the local areas and either give money to them, to their families, or we'll buy them gifts and stuff. But I mean, Christmas is a perfect opportunity. It's, believe it or not, actually right around the corner. So you can start saving now, even if it's $100, $20, whatever it is. And then at Christmas time that could be your like, okay, I would have spent a thousand dollars on gifts all together Let me donate this to the JCCF. That would be yeah, that would be probably like the coolest thing to do. So anyways Thanks for listening. Thanks for being on the podcast Julie. This has been so fun I've really enjoyed every time I talk with you. I get to know something more about you. Oh, I love that. Okay And thank you, for real, for your service to the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund. It does not go unnoticed, and it is so appreciated and needed. Your position is so big, and you wear that badge with honor, truly. So nice. Thank you very much. It is definitely an honor to serve this organization. without a doubt. Well, thanks for listening to the Kick Your Boots Up podcast. If you liked what you heard, feel free to give us a like, subscribe to our channel, share this with your friends, tell everyone about it. We have enjoyed our time with Julie and we look forward to seeing you the next time we kick your boots up.
00:39:59
Speaker
Thanks for joining us on Kick Your Boots Up. I'm your host, Taylor McAdams, and we can't wait to share the next story of the West. Until then, feel free to like, subscribe, and leave us a review. Follow us on social media at Justin Boots to keep up with our next episode, and we'll see you the next time you kick your boots up.