Nonprofit Spotlight | Reno Rodeo Foundation: Supporting kids for 30 years

What makes northern Nevada so special is the incredible spirit of giving and the sharing of heartfelt joy during the holiday season. With support of the Reno Rodeo Association and donations from our donors, thousands of kids have directly benefited through the Reno Rodeo Foundation.

While the Reno Rodeo Association and the Reno Rodeo Foundation are two separate entities, with two separate governing boards, the dedication to help northern Nevadans is equally shared through the heart and soul of members of the Reno Rodeo family.

The Reno Rodeo’s commitment to give back is realized with a portion of the proceeds from the “Wildest, Richest Rodeo in the West” going to the Reno Rodeo Foundation, since 1986. Programs include: Denim Drive, educational scholarships, support of the Reno Rodeo Reading Roundup literacy program offered to first graders attending Washoe County at-risk schools, a Reno Rodeo Wish to a special child in need and funds dispersed into the community by means of financial awards to deserving non-profit service organizations. The Reno Rodeo Foundation prides itself on building community partnerships and serves as the anchor for large capital projects to improve the lives of children.

Many are accustomed to hearing about the annual Reno Rodeo Denim Drive, with 2016 marking 10 years of serving traumatized kids who are eagerly waiting for their forever homes. Now through Dec. 31 the Reno Rodeo Denim Drive rounds up new clothes: jeans, shirts, socks and underwear for infants, children and teens who have survived abuse and neglect and have been placed in protective custody and foster care. Denim Drive collection bins are in hundreds of businesses throughout northern Nevada.

“Since launching the Denim Drive in 2006, the kindness of the community in their giving has grown exponentially each year,” said Clara Andriola, executive director of the Reno Rodeo Foundation. “100 percent of every donation goes to clothe kids in 14 northern Nevada counties. The monetary donations actually make a tremendous impact because we can purchase clothes in specific sizes to fill specific needs. What was collected in each county stays in each county.”

Prior to the Denim Drive no organization was consistently providing new clothes to children who have experienced unimaginable circumstances. In many cases these are the first new clothes they’ve ever received.

“It may be one pair of jeans, but it makes a world of difference to these children who have survived circumstances most of us can’t even imagine,” said Dr. Larry Frugoli, president of the Reno Rodeo Foundation. “Giving new clothes to a neglected, abused and abandoned child offers a sense of well-being and comfort. It sends a deeper message that someone cares about them as they begin their foster care journey.”

Clothing collected during the drive is distributed 24-hours a day, 365-days a year. Children who are rescued from unsafe homes are taken to the Kid’s Kottage if they live in Washoe County. Children in our rural counties are generally placed in an emergency foster home. When they arrive, they have nothing but the clothing they are wearing. Denim Drive “closets” are filled with clothing that is then given to these children — in the words of our recipients — “for keeps.”

There are over 5,000 abused and neglected children in protective custody in Nevada. Sadly, there has been a rise in the number of children in 2016. Children are placed in protective custody every day. That’s just one of the things that make the Denim Drive so important. We are not serving the same child over and over; rather, we’re reaching out to children who are starting the transition to a new life.

The Reno Rodeo Foundation also hosts two Foster Family Denim Distribution Days wherein foster children accompanied by their foster parents can come and choose new clothing. Traditionally they are hosted in January and a “back to school” distribution event in August. These events are held at the Kid’s Kampus Activity Center, adjacent to the Kid’s Kottage, which was a capital project of the Reno Rodeo Association, the Reno Rodeo Foundation and many construction companies and businesses completed in 2008.

The Reno Rodeo Denim Drive is a wonderful collaboration between a group of dedicated Reno Rodeo volunteers, local businesses and generous donors that makes a tremendous difference to thousands of local children who have survived horrific circumstances.

Please visit RenoRodeoFoundation.org to find a collection location near you or to donate online. The Reno Rodeo Foundation is a 501(c)3 Nevada non-profit, Federal Tax ID 88-023058.