April 21st. Cheers for Volunteers!

Nicole and I were invited to the Cheers for Volunteers event this past Sunday, April 26^th at the Rocky View Schools Education Center. We were asked to give a little speech about our year and how we contribute to the volunteering community. I have included our speech in this blog post for those of you whom were not able to attend.

On July 1st 2012, we were crowned as Miss Rodeo Airdrie and the Airdrie Pro Rodeo Princess. Along with those titles comes a year long commitment to volunteer out time to help and promote the Airdrie community. In the past few months we have attended approximately 90 events and put on almost 30,000 kms. In the end we don't do it for money or to get something in return, we do it for the love of rodeo and the Airdrie community. That is what makes a great volunteer, help out for the good of others.

Since we are both from the Edmonton area, we were not too familiar with Airdrie when we started our reign. But we have been able to make a smooth transition into our new family thanks to its very unique and loving community. It is a community that supports and recognizes volunteers, a community that rallies together when someone is in need, and a community that focuses on the proper up bringing of their children. The Mayor and MLA's are regular attendees at community gatherings. Whether it be at the Airdrie Rodeo, or strapping on some skates and playing hockey with a young team. We have found that if you have a connection to Airdrie, you have a certain demeanour about yourself. You want to help out and be a part of everything, or you say hi to a stranger walking down the street. It seems so simple right now, but you don't seem to find things like that in other communities.

Let's talk a little bit about our year so far. After the Airdrie Rodeo, we were pretty much non stop until October. That was a challenging 3 months, especially for me. If I wasn't sweating through my shirt, thanks to the plus 30 weather, my hair was going flat thanks to the humidity. I think that hottest day of the year was the visiting royalty day for the Calgary Stampede. We picked the heaviest shirts to wear that day, and we watched the rodeo standing on the black asphalt. So needless to say that was a very uncomfortable day, but so much fun and something we will remember for the rest of our lives. We were accompanied by 20 other visiting royalties from around the world! We also got to participate in the centennial stampede parade, and there were people everywhere. The streets were absolutely full and there people were hanging out of windows cheering for us as well. After that we went to the Strathmore Rodeo, the Cochrane Rodeo, the Okotoks Rodeo, the Millarville Rodeo, the Medicine Hat Rodeo, the Canadian Finals Rodeo, the Denver Stock Show, the Calgary Police Rodeo, and the Airdrie Ranch Rodeo just to name a few. We also have gone to many community events including multiple visits at the Bethany Care Center, the Hair Lounge Event, ARTember, Airdrie fest, Diamonds and Denim, the Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast, and some Airdrie Food Bank events as well. Outside of Airdrie, some events we have attended are the Leduc Santa Clause Parade, the ‘Heaven Can Wait’  fundraiser, the Ranchman’s Bull Busting and Mutton Busting, Bass Pro Events, and Blue Grass Nursery events as well. 

During the winter we did slow down a bit, but as spring finally starts to get here our events calendar is really starting to fill up. Then just like that it will be over and we will be passing our crowns on to a new pair of girls. This experience has showed us the beauty of helping out in your community and I am sure that we both will be volunteering our time after we pass our crowns on, partly because we won't know what to do with ourselves! But also because that is what the Airdrie Rodeo Royalty Program does to you. It creates socially confidant, helping, and amazing women. And those skills can be used throughout your life.

We would like to leave you with a few words from Margaret Mead, 'Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.'

Thank you for having us speak today and we hope to see you at the 2013 Airdrie Pro Rodeo!

This event was a great way to say thank you to the many volunteers of the Airdrie Community. They are what make Airdrie truly unique from other communities and we are so glad to be a part of that.

See you down the trail!

Airdrie Pro Rodeo Princess 2012
Sam Bilsborrow