Message from BPRIF Board Chair - Corey Vason
 Welcome to 2026!
We are truly grateful and humbled to enter the 42nd year of the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo and the 38th year of the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo Foundation. As we begin this new year, we look forward with great excitement and anticipation to a productive and impactful year for the Foundation.
Our President, Valeria Howard Cunningham, and our Community Relations Director, Margo Wade LaDrew, along with the other board members created tremendous opportunities for the Foundation in 2025. Their leadership and dedication will continue to bring the same level of energy and innovation in 2026, allowing the Foundation to further support our rodeo communities, cowboys and cowgirls, and the youth who benefit from the programs and opportunities we proudly provide.
Before we move forward into the new year, I would like to take a moment to express our sincere appreciation for the many accomplishments the BPIR Foundation achieved in 2025.
Some of the Foundation’s highlights include:
The Foundation awarded more than 20 college and higher-education scholarships to deserving youth in our communities. These scholarships included the Founder’s (Lu Vason) Scholarship, the Sedgwick Haynes Memorial Calf Roping Grant, the Jesse Guillory Book Scholarship, the Attorney L. Chris Stewart & Canicka Stewart Scholarship, and 10 Regional Scholarship Awards presented in cities where the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo was held. These scholarships were awarded to college-bound students in each region, helping them pursue their academic and professional goals.
The Foundation also continued its partnership with Crown Royal through the Crown Royal/BPIRF “Hats Off Grant” program, awarding four grants of $20,000 each to BPIR cowboys and cowgirls, as well as two additional grants of $20,000 each, supporting the advancement and sustainability of Black rodeo athletes.
In addition, the Foundation conducted self-development and agriculture workshops in Fort Worth, Texas; Oakland, California; Los Angeles, California; Atlanta, Georgia; and Upper Marlboro, Maryland, reaching more than 300 young adults. The Foundation also continued its healthcare initiatives, providing blood pressure and diabetes screenings while educating participants about whole health and wellness.
As our country has faced challenging times, the Foundation has remained committed to supporting communities by contributing to local food banks, toy drives, and school supply drives, ensuring that families and youth have access to essential resources.
These have been exciting and meaningful accomplishments, and it is truly an honor to help prepare and support the next generation and our communities with opportunities that have a lasting impact. Therefore, I would like to thank our BPIR Foundation Board of Directors and Advisory Board members for their dedication and outstanding contributions throughout 2025.
None of this would have been possible without the generous support, funding, and commitment of our incredible partners and donors across the country. We extend our deepest gratitude to Crown Royal, CoBank, SP5DER, Safeway, Mr. Alfred Dowe and the NewRoc Uplift Foundation, Attorney L. Chris Stewart and Canicka Stewart, as well as all of our individual donors and supporters.
As we look ahead to 2026, we remain committed to expanding programs and funding that uplift and support our youth, our communities, and the BPIR cowboys and cowgirls who represent this proud legacy. Our goal is to continue growing our scholarship programs, developing meaningful corporate partnerships, and identifying new opportunities that will strengthen and expand the impact of the BPIR Foundation for years to come.
On behalf of the BPIR Foundation, I would like to personally thank our supporters, sponsors, donors, contributors, volunteers, youth participants, rodeo competitors, and fans for your unwavering support and dedication.
Together, we will continue to make a powerful impact in 2026.
We are ready — the best is yet to come.
Sincerely,
Corey Vason
Executive Director
Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo Foundation
[email protected]
