KING CITY — A local barrel race fundraiser exceeded its goals this year, bringing in nearly $50,000 for the Key for a Cure Foundation, in collaboration with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
The fundraiser, “Chasing Dreams, Finding Cures,” hosted its fifth annual rodeo event over the Nov. 5-7 weekend at the Salinas Valley Fairgrounds in King City. In addition to barrel racers from around the state competing for prizes, a silent auction took place Saturday and was open to the public.
Organizers said the fundraiser exceeded their 2021 goal of $30,000 by raising more than $45,000. According to Mee Memorial Healthcare System, which was a first-time sponsor of the event, the actual amount raised was closer to $50,000.
“This may have been our first time sponsoring a fundraising event such as this, but it won’t be our last,” Mee Memorial stated on social media. “We will continue to show our support and commitment to our community by sponsoring events and organizations that help our community.”
Key for a Cure Foundation, based in Monterey, is a nonprofit organization that advocates and raises funds for pediatric cancer research initiatives that lead to less-toxic forms of cancer treatment and a cure for cancer. All proceeds from the fundraiser will go toward this research.
“Thank you to the amazing team that makes up ‘Chasing Dreams, Finding Cures,’” organizers wrote on Facebook after the event. “We have such an amazing group of individuals who truly just want to help St. Jude. … It’s so heartwarming to have a team of individuals that have the same purpose and work so well together. Thank you to every single person who stepped in to help this weekend!”
This year’s barrel racing results can be found on the “Chasing Dreams, Finding Cures” Facebook page.
The fundraiser has now brought in nearly $130,000 in five years. Organizers are already planning the sixth annual event, which has been announced for Nov. 4-6, 2022, in King City.
