Preparing for their biggest fundraiser of the year
By Cody Begaye
Contributing Editor
Summer has arrived, bringing the heat and all the seasonal celebrations with it. We’ve had our graduations and celebrated our parents, the U.S.’s celebration is also coming up soon, and there are countless other gatherings on the horizon.
But for Gallup, this also means a fan-favorite event is about to rock and roll its way back into Red Rock Park: WildThing Championship Bullriding. This bonanza of bucking bulls, red-hot riders, and electrifying entertainment has been bringing the fun and excitement to Gallup for over 30 years.
The Sun has written about WildThing for years ahead of the event because it likes to remind readers of the people who bring it to life, and those who benefit from it. One such party being Manuelito Children’s Home, located west of Gallup at 12 Theta St.
The children’s home, along with the onsite Gallup Christian School, runs the concessions and parking for WildThing, and it has long been their biggest fundraiser every year. Executive Director Jim Christian told the Sun that it is the same routine for them this year, but that doesn’t make it less exciting for them.
“We have our friends coming in from out to town all the way from Texas and Arkansas to help us with the labor,” Christian said. “We have a busy week ahead of time. We’re making sure we all have our orange vests, our flags, gear and equipment ready.”
FOR THE KIDS LIKE ALWAYS
The funds that the home brings in from WildThing help carry the Manuelito Children’s Home through a bulk of the year with their important goals of providing for the children. Christian has said as such during multiple Sun interviews to emphasize its importance.
“Pretty soon it’s going to be back to school, so that’ll help with [clothing] so we can make sure the kids are dressed nice,” he said. “Then it’s going to be wintertime before you know it.”
The next several months will present other fundraising opportunities for the home, including bake sales around Thanksgiving as well as the general uptick in donations near the Christmas season. Then there are other events that the home joins as well throughout the year. These all bring in funds and support to the home, but Christian has also admitted that they are not as big and beneficial as WildThing.
And one of the key aspects of WildThing is socializing.
“The kids really look forward to it,” Christian said. “They like to see their friends who come in out of town to help us set out, and get out there for a couple of days and have something exciting to do. They all get to see the bull riding, see the fireworks.”
COMMUNITY GRATITUDE
With WildThing fast approaching on July 11-12, Christian again gave thanks to everyone who has supported the home up until now and everyone who plans to come out to the event.
“Now if anyone wants to donate anything to us, we encourage them to call us as well. They can make sure they give what we need that week because it changes every time,” he said.
Manuelito Children’s Home has previously listed major ongoing projects on their website, which can only be achieved by the support from the community. These include newer buildings, new cottages to house more children, and more supplies to teach them as well.
For more information on Manuelito Children’s Home, including where you can support the home, visit them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mnch.gallupnm/ or their website at mnch.org.
