Western Wishes Concludes First Decade with a Special Breakfast of Champions
By David G. Brown
LAS VEGAS, Nevada – The Western Wishes Foundation celebrated ten years of helping cowboy-kids make wishes come true by hosting a very special “Breakfast of Champions,” on December 11, 2004 with a special child, a number of Wrangler National Finals Rodeo contestants, previous Wish-Kids, and a variety of celebrity guests. Boyd Gaming sponsored the event, which included breakfast at the Stardust Hotel, to help make a very special dream come true for Tyler H., an eight year-old child who suffers from Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a progressive disease for which there is no cure.
Boyd Gaming generously donated Gold Buckle Tickets to the WNFR, for the 5th round, for Tyler and some family members, as well as Alyssa Bigon, Western Wishes very first Wish-Kid from ten years ago. Alyssa survived leukemia, and is now a horse trainer in Oklahoma.
It was very appropriate that the very first Wish-Kid join the Ten-Year-Anniversary Wish-Kid to watch the rodeo. Tyler and Alyssa enjoyed incredible seats for the rodeo on Tuesday night, which was the first part of Tyler’s special wish.
The second part of his wish was to be able to meet with some of the cowboy athletes in person, as well as some of his favorite Country entertainers, for pictures and autographs.
Tyler with champion bull rider Chris Shivers
To continue Tyler’s wish, and to celebrate a decade of dreams-come-true at Western Wishes, Boyd Gaming hosted a very special “Breakfast of Champions,” which featured several “champions,” previous Western Wishes recipients and cancer survivors Jay McDonald and Rachel Hanson, as well as former world champion bull riders Charlie Sampson and Gary Leffew. Also attending were Clyde and Elsie Frost, parents of world champion Lane Frost, who was killed at Cheyenne Frontier Days in 1989. Other former world champions were also in attendance, such as Saddle Bronc champ Clint Johnson. Also at the breakfast were rodeo champions and WNFR contestants K.C. Jones, Ryan Mapston, Jason Havens, Jake Barnes, Allen Bach, Rod Lyman, Rowdy Berry, Kirt Jones and Miss Rodeo Canada, Christa Lawrence, and many others. In addition to the children and the rodeo athletes, special “champions” of the entertainment industry also joined the fun, including Blue Collar Comedian Bill Engvall, and Nashville recording artists Ricochet.
The breakfast was hosted by previous wish recipients and cancer survivors Jay McDonald and Rachel Hanson, who helped celebrate ten years of Western Wishes and the foundation’s work helping dreams come true for Cowboy Kids. Jay and Rachel, known as Western Wishes “Ambassadors of Hope,” embody the fighting spirit of Western children, and prove that with cowboy grit and determination, even cancer can sometimes be beaten.
Many of the cowboy contestants, Miss Rodeo Canada and representatives from various rodeo committees, addressed the group to share their personal reasons for contributing their time to help kids over the years, through Western Wishes, as well as for Tyler’s special day.
Ricochet provided musical entertainment with an impromptu vocal rendition of their hit song “Daddy’s Money” for Tyler and the group. Comedian Bill Engvall was both touching and hilarious when he spoke to Tyler and the crowd, showing his talent as a comedian while exposing a caring and generous person behind the character.
Tyler also was given numerous gifts from a variety of sponsors and rodeo committees. Christmas came early for this young man!
As a result of the breakfast, Tyler’s family was later invited to an afternoon concert by Ricochet, and they were unexpectedly given tickets to the tenth round of the WNFR by rodeo sponsor Dodge Trucks. By the end of the WNFR-week, the rodeo world and generous sponsor Boyd Gaming, created a new tradition – the Breakfast of Champions, which gave Tyler a book of memories he will cherish for the rest of his life.