‘Leave No Veteran Behind’ holds rodeo on Chicago’s South Side to support veterans

CHICAGO — Cowboys and cowgirls flocked to Bronzeville on Chicago’s South Side for a rodeo that had a goal of helping veterans.

The event was organized by a local non-profit called Leve No Veteran Behind. 1,000 tickets were donated to children from Chicago so they could see their very first rodeo.

“There’s three barrels in the arena and then it’s like a clover pattern you have to try to not knock them down,” nine-year-old Amarissa Hughes said.

“It shows them they can do something different instead of hanging out on the street, you can advance your life doing something different,” Melvin Clay said.

Hughes and Clay are both from the Chicago area and have been part of the rodeo world for a long time.

Hughes is a barrel racer, the youngest competing in her event today. Clay is a steer wrestler, which he says comes with some bumps and bruises but has taken him all over the world.

They are among many who participated in the rodeo, which is in aid of veterans.

Combat veteran and co-founder of Leave No Veteran Behind, Eli Williamson, says the goal was to host an engaging community event — something totally out of the norm — to get veterans out and signed up for every benefit they’re entitled to.

“We’ve trained up service navigators. They’ll be walking around, talking to vets and seeing if they’ve signed up for their benefits,” Williamson said. “We have over 20 organizations trying to hire vets out here.”

For more information on Leave No Veteran Behind, click here.