Fundraisers on tap for Dacean Thomas

Published by admin on Thu, 07/28/2016 - 9:00am

This year’s Cowley Rodeo Queen, Dacean Thomas, is proving that she’s “Cowgirl Tough”  by giving it her all for a fast recovery from a recent horse accident. Thomas is recovering from severe head injuries caused by an accident that took place near her family home in Deaver on Sunday, June 26. In spite of what would normally be a relatively slow prognosis for recovery, Thomas is already out and about doing the best she can to fulfill her duties as queen.Though on strict orders from her doctors not to ride a horse yet, she appeared in this weekend’s Cowley Pioneer Day parade in a horse drawn carriage surrounded by fellow royalty, family and friends. She also attended the rodeo later that afternoon for a brief period of time, where she mingled with well-wishers in the stands. A number of fundraisers are planned and in progress to help her with mounting medical expenses. The first fundraiser, a barrel race, is coming up this weekend.[caption id="attachment_11497" align="alignright" width="300"]Though not able to ride a horse yet due a recent horse accident, Cowley Rodeo Queen Dacean Thomas appeared in this weekend’s Cowley Pioneer Day parade in a horse drawn carriage surrounded by fellow royalty, family and friends. She also attended the rodeo later that afternoon for a brief period of time, where she mingled with rodeo fans in the stands. Patti Carpenter photo Though not able to ride a horse yet due a recent horse accident, Cowley Rodeo Queen Dacean Thomas appeared in this weekend’s Cowley Pioneer Day parade in a horse drawn carriage surrounded by fellow royalty, family and friends. She also attended the rodeo later that afternoon for a brief period of time, where she mingled with rodeo fans in the stands.
Patti Carpenter photo[/caption]The barrel race will be held on Saturday at the Cowley Rodeo Grounds. Entrants can register at 4 p.m. The race will begin at 6 p.m. A silent auction and barbecue will also be held in conjunction with the event.The Wyoming Desparados Mounted Shooting Club is hosting an event at the Park County Fairgrounds called the “Wild Wyoming Charity Jackpot.” The event will begin on Friday, Aug. 26, at 6 p.m. and will run through the weekend. All of the proceeds from the exhibition event will be donated to the Thomas family.Wyoming Desparados are also hosting a mechanical bull “buck off” in conjunction with a dinner to be held at Hansel and Gretel’s Restaurant in Powell on Saturday, Aug. 27, at 6 p.m. A silent auction will also run concurrently with other shooting events that are taking place over the same weekend.A raffle of a sorrel filly born on May 28, 2016, is also being held as a fundraiser for the Thomas family. The “AQHA pending” filly is sired by Shootn Smart: Pretty Boy Boon and Way to Go Lena, by Lena My Way. The filly will be weaned in the fall and available for pickup by the lucky winner of the raffle at that time. For more information, contact Alyssa or Justin O’Neil at 307-271-2046.For those wanting to make a donation, a GoFundMe site has been set up for online donations by Bessie Holdsworth. The site is a convenient way to make donations and has already raised more than $2,690. To access the site go to www.gofundme.com and type Dacean’s first and last name in the search feature.

By Patti Carpenter