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by Danielle Smith My mother passed away almost 3 years ago due to breast cancer. The past couple of years, the family and friends of my mom, Betty Jane Smith, formed a team (BJ's Angels) for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure here in Arkansas. We have won 2nd place in raising the most money for the state of Arkansas for the past 2 years. We have family, friends and businesses that donate $100 to put their names on the back of our team shirt we wear the day of the race as sponsors for BJ's Angels. We also have a fundraiser that all started because of my mother and father starting a business in 1991, a "Team Roping" business that is, that now brings back wonderful memories! My mother ran the show, doing the announcing for the roping events and getting it all together. My husband and I took over the arena in 2001, running it for a year before shutting it down. The arena went for several years as just an addition tot he cow and horse pastures. My husband never quit the sport of Team Roping, we just traveled around supporting the other "Team Roping" businesses. Then two years ago I had an idea to start something out at the arena in her memory. That's how "Ropin' 4 A Cure" got started and we just had its 2nd annual roping on September 20, 2008. The event exploded this year with a total of 830 teams! We gave away 2 custom saddles with pink ribbons and pink seats and Payton Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick of Heber Springs donated $2,000 to add to the prize money. Also, BJ's Angels turned in $8,190 to the Susan G. Komen Foundation this year in my mother's memory! WOW! What a WONDERFUL feeling I get when I say that! My passion in life now that my mother is gone is just to live every day thinking of her, praying to God I make her happy with my decisions in life. I had never had the opportunity to help anyone personally with breast cancer until recently when I received an e-mail from a friend telling me her neighbor had been diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer. She said the neighbor was only 27 years old and happily married with 2 children, 6 and 2 years of age. She wanted to ask me, since I'd been there with my mother, what she could do to help this family in their time of need. That's when we decided to have a Benefit Team Roping for Robin "Lockard" Wood on November 29, 2008 at Kennedy Arena to help her family out in this time of need. Not only did we have a Team Roping for the family, we had an auction and ALL the proceeds from the concession stand, the auction, and the roping events went to her family. If I had never received the e-mail from my friend just wanting my advice on something, we wouldn't have been able to do this, but she knew the family needed our help and I feel honored to have been able to be a part of it. My husbad went to the same high school as Robin and I knew her from working at a local store in younger days. Every time I saw her she always had a welcoming smile and a hello. I might not know her that well, but I will never forget that! She will be having a double mastectomy in a couple months after she finishes her chemo treatments. She and her husband both have full time jobs and she is working when she's not sick. If you would like to help make her days of sickness as good as possible, helping her not to have to worry about having food on the table to feed the family and about the bills that are due, donations are welcome. An account has been set up under Robin "Lockard" Wood at First Arkansas Bank and Trust. Remember: Give and you shall receive! Go Back to Contents Go to SearcyLiving.com |
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