The Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo draws a crowd every year but special attention is given to certain members of the community and for good reason. The annual Special Needs Rodeo provides an opportunity for those with special needs and their families to enjoy the excitement of this annual event. The Special Needs Rodeo kicked off
on Wednesday evening
with a carnival held at the Western Park Hockey Rink. Bounce houses, games, prizes, and even a mechanical bull provided thrills for the record crowd. Event organizer MaryAnn Spainhower says there were well over 100 special needs guests and an additional 150 family members that attended, which was a huge jump from previous years. Those who attended were also given two tickets to the rodeo for
Thursday night
that are located in special seating aimed at making the experience a positive one for the group’s variety of special needs. Wednesday’s event also drew names for who will serve as the special rodeo Kings and Queens for the next 3 nights. The lucky winners were King Creed Grover and Queen Rajia Manning for
Thursday night
, King Mike Jackson and Queen Sonja Stevens for
Friday night
, and King Toby Evenson and Queen Cami Mansfield for
Saturday night
. Spainhower was thrilled by the turnout and says donations and sponsors are more than welcome as the event continues to grow each year.
