My guest today is Renee Middleton, the Executive Director of the Cheynne Frontier Days Foundation. Renée has thirty years of experience in both marketing and management with Taco John’s International, Unicover Corporation and Sierra Trading Post. In addition to her marketing career, Renée has been in the field of nursing since 2018. She is a RN who works on the Oncology Floor at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center. In addition to her volunteer work with CFD, Renée has participated as a volunteer at the Davis Hospice Center, was a Foundation Board Member of the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens and as a Board Member of the Cheyenne Symphony Board.

“We use the Frontier Grounds and our Frontier Nights Stage to host all of Cheyenne's highschools graduations in May. This year we gave a yellow feather and the attached card to all high school grads. No one is immune to or hasn't been touched by suicide, and yet it continues to take our loved ones, our neighbors, and the list goes on unfortunately for all ages.”

Cheyenne Frontier Days is tackling suicide awareness and prevention with a new campaign aimed at individuals attending and participating in their events. The campaign encourages people to “reach out to a Pick Up Man or be a Pick Up Man for someone in need.” People contemplating suicide are directed to the new nationwide 988 Suicide Prevention Hotline. Individuals who see friends, family members, or neighbors struggling with mental health are encouraged to reach out.

“Our western culture of independence and self-reliance may inhibit people from seeking help, or people from offering help,” Tom Hirsig, CFD CEO said. “In rodeo, we call the Pick Up Man a lifesaver in the arena. Every cowboy knows the Pick Up Man is out there to help, to give a hand. And the athletes do not hesitate to reach out for help. We want everyone to use that example in their lives.”

Website: https://foundation.cfdrodeo.com/project/pick-up-man-campaign/

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