CALDWELL, Idaho — During the second night of the Caldwell Night Rodeo, all the fans, cowboys, and cowgirls dressed in purple in support of Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue's Man Up Foundation against domestic violence.
"I don’t take the cause lightly. Anytime he has an event, I show up, and I have a full purple suit, purple vest, purple tie," Hal Coburn, CNR Junior Rodeo Announcer, said. "Anything he needs to set that tone, that purple is the color against domestic violence, and that we stand against it."
"Man Up" stands for Making Awareness Now Using Purple. Sheriff Donahue and his wife Jeanie started the nonprofit to combat domestic violence.
“We all come out in purple," Sheriff Donahue said. "Stock contractors, rodeo cowboys, cowgirls, fans all come in purple tonight to support this Man Up Crusade in solidarity and realize we can talk about this issue of domestic violence and we can help change the next generation of children.”
Man Up creates awareness and raises money to tackle the issue that affects many people in our community. They also partner with shelters and offer education on domestic violence.
"Right now, in today's society, one in four women are victims of domestic violence in their lifetime, and one in seven men are victims of domestic violence in their lifetime," Sheriff Donahue said. "Those are reported crimes that come into law enforcement so that is extremely important to us as a society.”
Man Up also partners with rodeos across the northwest, like the Caldwell Night Rodeo.
"Professional cowboys and cowgirls are wearing purple to show that we can talk about this issue, and we can be the heroes for the next generation of children," Sheriff Donahue said.
It's a cause close to the Rodeo's heart.
"It reaches out into young families, all the way up into the older generation as well," Coburn said. "It is important enough that I have had an amputation for six years and every one of my prostheses is a purple leg to support Kieran Donahue and his cause to join the crusade against domestic violence."
For more information on the foundation, click here.
Thursday Night is Power of Pink Night, and fans are encouraged to wear pink in support of breast cancer survivors and to raise money for breast cancer screenings. For a full schedule of events, click here.
