By Ethan Aguilera
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department hosted its 24th annual Sheriff’s Rodeo from Sept. 22 through Sept. 24. The event occurred at the Sheriff’s Rodeo Grounds in San Bernardino.
With each rodeo, the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department donates to a shelter or a cause to promote awareness. This year, the department donated to the “Man Up Crusade,” which is a local non-profit organization that raises awareness of domestic violence.
The annual rodeo is an excellent opportunity to bring small and local businesses to a large audience for exposure.
One of the event’s vendors was the Midnight Platoon, a business that sold custom t-shirts.
“We’ve had so much fun, and this is one of my favorite events to attend,” Odette Liakos of Midnight Platoon said. “It’s a great opportunity for us to brand for people to know us, and it’s a great way to market.”
The organizers of the rodeo incorporate new elements to try and improve the experience for attendees every year.
“It’s changed. It’s the first time they did a concert and a dance,” Deputy Ernie Perez said. “They actually opened it up more, and now we were able to hold up to 20,000 more (attendees) since last year.”
According to Deputy P. Tormey, the event brings in people throughout the Inland Empire and helps strengthen the relationship between law enforcement and the community.
The rodeos have been an ongoing tradition since 1957, generating an estimated one million dollars in donations for shelters and charitable organizations.
