Colorado rodeo committee awarded new Massey Ferguson tractor.
AGCO Corporation (NYSE: AGCO), a global leader in the design, manufacture, and distribution of agricultural machinery and precision ag technology, continues to celebrate the generous support of rodeo committees across the United States to their local ag communities. AGCO’s Massey Ferguson® brand presents its annual Sowing Good Deeds™ award to rodeo organizations that have gone above and beyond in their charitable works. Matt LeCroy, director, marketing hay and forage for Massey Ferguson North America, presented this year’s award to representatives of Gunnison Cattlemen’s Days Rodeo during the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) 2023 Awards Banquet in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Gunnison Cattlemen’s Days Rodeo Committee receives a new Massey Ferguson 4700 Series tractor as part of the award.
“Massey Ferguson is proud to support American agriculture in the field and in our communities,” said LeCroy. “Our PRCA rodeo committees have a great deal to offer, providing entertainment, service, and significant financial support to the greater agricultural community. We’re excited to recognize the 124-year legacy of hard work and commitment of the Gunnison Cattlemen’s Days Rodeo with this year’s award.”
The Cattlemen’s Day Rodeo is the seventh organization recognized with the Sowing Good Deeds award. Each year, the contest is open to committees in the contiguous states and Washington, D.C., and the company receives nominations from all over the country. Applicants and nominees are evaluated on their commitment to community involvement, entrepreneurial spirit, and ability to adapt to challenges and overcome adversity.
“PRCA rodeos raise millions of dollars for local charities across the U.S.,” said Tom Glause, PRCA CEO. “Our relationship with Massey Ferguson’s Sowing Good Deeds program allows us to recognize and reward committees for their charitable efforts and overall impact on their local ag community. We are incredibly proud of the Gunnison Cattlemen’s Days Rodeo committee, its volunteers and rodeo athletes who contribute to this incredible cause.”
Gunnison Cattlemen’s Day began in 1900 when the Gunnison County Stockgrowers’ Association formalized an annual celebration held as a break between calving and haying. The event was staged on Main Street in the middle of town but has since moved to the Gunnison County Fairgrounds, where it’s now a mainstay. The Cattlemen’s Day Rodeo is heavily involved in Colorado’s agricultural community, but its Tough Enough to Wear Pink (TETWP) initiative stands out among the rest.
In a community of just 15,000 people, Cattlemen’s Days is the number one fundraising rodeo in the nation for this national breast cancer awareness movement, raising more than $5.1 million since 2005. The money raised stays local. It provides financial support for patients, their families, and the hospital. The initiative also helps fund “Lucy’s House,” a lodging program that has provided 375 nights of lodging for more than 20 individuals through September 2023. The group created a transportation system in 2016 for those needing treatments not provided locally. TUFFY, the Ram 1500 truck, safely transports patients to doctors and appointments outside of the valley. This quickly transformed into a three-vehicle endeavor with additions to the fleet made in 2018 and 2020. The vehicles have traveled more than 100,000 miles, directly assisting between 12 and 19 individuals each year.
“We’ve focused really hard on our Tough Enough to Wear Pink initiative and helping people with cancer in the Valley,” said Mike Dawson, Cattlemen’s Day Committee president and TETWP board member. “This year we topped $1 million dollars, and the impact that it has, because all our dollars stay here, is exponential. There are hundreds of people we’ve helped get through this, and they end up being our best volunteers. So, if you have a community that gives back to itself, it really pays off in the end. That’s what this award means to me and what it means to our committee. It really is an honor to those community members we’ve lost, and it means a lot to our volunteers and staff to be honored with this award.”
Massey Ferguson is a registered trademark of AGCO. Sowing Good Deeds is a trademark of AGCO.
About AGCO
AGCO (NYSE:AGCO) is a global leader in the design, manufacture, and distribution of agricultural machinery and precision ag technology. AGCO delivers customer value through its differentiated brand portfolio, including core brands like Fendt®, GSI®, Massey Ferguson®, Precision Planting®, and Valtra®. Powered by Fuse® smart farming solutions, AGCO’s full line of equipment and services help farmers sustainably feed our world. Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Duluth, Georgia, USA, AGCO had net sales of approximately $12.7 billion in 2022. For more information, visit www.AGCOcorp.com. For company news, information, and events, please follow us on Twitter: @AGCOCorp. For financial news on Twitter, please follow the hashtag #AGCOIR.
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