This past August 12, on a bright, sunny afternoon at Casey Jones Park in Elizabeth, over 1,000 little cowpokes from throughout the Denver Metro area enjoyed the eighth annual Home on the Range, a Wild West event featuring a rough stock rodeo, mutton bustin’, watermelon crawl, stick horse racing, horse backrides, pony rides, petting zoo, face painting, crafts, free BBQ, plus much more, all while helping to raise $127,000 for Advocates for Children, the CASA program that serves abused and neglected children in Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties. Said presenting sponsors, Simon and Shellie Moore of Town and Country Foods: “Each year our goal is to provide children that may not have much joy in their lives with a day of fun free from care and cost. We’re so grateful that the community, many local businesses, and the team ropers that help fund the event have turned out in force yet again to help make this wonderful adventure possible for child victims of abuse and neglect.”

            The record-breaking sum of $127,000 was raised through the support of donors, event sponsors and the proceeds from a Team Roping Event and Live Auction on the Saturday prior to the Children’s Rodeo. The Moores are grateful to Rope the Rockies, represented by Dale and Julie Atkinson and Loren and Marilyn Telleen for supplying cattle for the team roping event; and to Winklepleck Rodeo Company for helping to put on the Children’s Rodeo. Also due a big thanks are these sponsors:  Elizabeth Stampede Rodeo Committee, Cactus Ropes, Heel-o-Matic, Commerce Bank, American Mechanical Services, Via West, L and K  Ranch, Wells Fargo Bank, Jace Glick ReMax, IREA, Dr, Ben Lee, Transwest Trucks and Trailers, Jule Mundrick Memorial Fund, The Oak Tree Foundation, Newmont Mining, Premier Trucks, Cross Country Pipeline Supply Co., American Design and Landscape, and Town & Country Foods.  

With over 60 teams of ropers competing for prizes, the annual Team Roping Benefit has proved to be a popular competition on the annual roping schedule since 2000, when the event got its start. The Charity Draw Pot hands out a variety of cash and prizes, and awarded first place plus cash and saddles to the team of Larry Borrego and Fred Reece. All of the Draw Pot winners donated their cash prizes back to Advocates for Children!

After an exhilarating day of roping, tired cowboys and spectators enjoyed a delicious BBQ dinner, provided by Town & Country Foods, followed by a live auction that garnered over $75,000 for items that included everything from fine art and collectibles to a state-of-the-art backyard grill and elegant evening attire. Among the most hotly contested items were two baby blankets knitted by the late Jule Mundrick, mother of Shellie Moore and long-time supporter of Advocates for Children. Auction participants recognized that this night was their last chance to acquire one of these precious blankets and that bidding generously was a wonderful way to acknowledge a woman who worked so tirelessly on behalf of abused and neglected kids.