Tough Enough to Wear Pink returns tonight to the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, to celebrate Tough Enough to Wear Pink night at the WNFR. Rodeo athletes and fans alike will be decked out in pink as the annual tradition returns for its 17th year.
Tough Enough to Wear Pink was founded in 2004 by Terry Wheatley, wife and mother of former professional rodeo cowboys Jim and Wade Wheatley, and a breast cancer survivor herself and Karl Stressman, former director of special events for Wrangler and former Commissioner of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). The idea was to spark a western community movement to help families facing breast cancer. Tough Enough to Wear Pink night was launched at the WNFR with competitors and fans alike sporting pink to show their support. The idea was an instant hit, and rodeo committees across the country were asking how they could bring the campaign to their own hometowns.
Tough Enough to Wear Pink offers planning, marketing, promotional and merchandising support to rodeo committees to host events in their own communities. The money raised stays in the community to promote early detection and mammograms, provide transportation to medical appointments, support local clinics and hospitals and offer assistance to families.
Terry Wheatley also is the President of Vintage Wine Estates, a leading wine company. A wine she created, Purple Cowboy, gives back 100% of its profits to Tough Enough to Wear Pink. Purple Cowboy is the Official Wine of the Professional Rodeo Cowboy’s Association.
Other generous sponsors include: Wrangler, Montana Silversmiths, Twisted X, Cinch Jeans and Las Vegas Events.
Each year, Tough Enough to Wear Pink recognizes the leading fundraising Tough Enough to Wear Pink events. This year, the number one rodeo honor goes to – Cattlemen’s Days TETWP. This tenacious group raised over $600,000 that stayed in their hometown. Other notable fundraisers includes TETWP of Montana, The Cowboy’s for Cancer Research and Twin Falls TETWP.
