Children treated like champions at Golden Circle event

Twenty children, 67 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo athletes, many volunteers and sponsors. Add them all up, and you get memories that will last a lifetime at the Golden Circle of Champions.

The Golden Circle of Champions started at the Santa Maria Elks Rodeo in California in 2016. The rodeo committee created an organization with an ongoing goal of raising awareness and funds for children and their families facing the biggest battle of their lives: pediatric cancer.

In 2018, a partnership was created with the Wrangler NFR to host 20 children and their families – 10 from the Las Vegas community, 10 put forth by rodeo committees across the country. This year’s NFR Golden Circle event took place Sunday at the Tuscany Suites Casino.

Per usual, the children were treated like the champions – which they are – given head-to-toe western apparel, a bag full of goodies and new cowboy hats. They even received a champion buckle from Montana Silversmiths, the same company that makes the buckles that NFR contestants pursue.

The rodeo cowboys and cowgirls were then partnered with the children for mock rodeo events. There was also a red-carpet introduction of each contestant and child, along with a luncheon. The program ended with more recognition for the children and presentation of their prizes. After a little rest, the children and their families made their way to the Thomas Mack Center for the Sunday night go-round, to watch their cowboy and cowgirl heroes compete.

Dakota Eldridge, a steer wrestler who grew up in Nevada, has participated each year the event has been held here. He’s made friendships and memories that will last a lifetime.

“It’s awesome,” Eldridge said. “We forget what these kids and their families are going through, and hopefully they can forget for a day as well. The girl I was paired with started getting tired and had to take a break. That was a big reminder for me. No matter how much fun they are having, they still are in a fight for their lives.”

Bareback rider Mason Clements, a new dad, was one of six contestants wearing a custom gold hat from Warbonnet Hats. Those hats were auctioned off at the luncheon as a fundraiser. Half of the money went to Golden Circle, and the other half was designated for NFR contestants. All of the contestants donated their money back, helping raise $66,000.

Clements’ father bought the hat worn by his son and another worn by bareback rider Richmond Champion.

“It gave me a lot of strength and inspiration,” Clements said of the experience. “After that, I thought I’m not sore and I’m not tired. I don’t have any bad days. Those kids have true bad days. Their parents have bad days. It truly gave me the focus and drive to be my best tonight.”

That attitude certainly worked for Logan Medlin, a team roping heeler who won the round Sunday night. As he was making his victory lap around arena, he looked for his family in the stands, and he saw his Golden Circle partner holding up a sign for him.

“I’ve got a little girl that is 3-and-a-half,” Medlin said of his own daughter. “It touched me when I went [to Golden Circle] last year. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else on a Sunday afternoon. The girl I was partnered with is 17 and was recently diagnosed. She was so much fun, positive and upbeat, and then she was right behind my family [in the stands]. I hope we can impact them half as much as they impact us.”

Tina Tonascia organizes the events here as well as in Santa Maria, Calif. She has help from volunteers around the country, along with sponsors and rodeo committees. They also partner here with the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation. She has seen the struggles of these kids and families firsthand, but also watched as Golden Circle memories were made. And she has hope for the future.

“We are working to get more rodeo committees involved,” she said. “We just want these kids to have more opportunities to be treated like the champions that they are. We accomplished that here, and by bringing this awareness, we have rodeo committees that are doing things locally to honor these kids and their families.

“These kids are the champions, and we are working to make a difference, one champion at a time.”