rodeo's big give

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo lassos up record-breaking $500 million commitment to Texans

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo has reached a major financial milestone.

Photo courtesy of RodeoHouston

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is famous for breaking records — notably, for single-day rodeo or concert attendance (a prime example is this year’s Go Tejano Day, which saw 75,586 for one night).

Now, the venerable Houston institution is celebrating a new record, as it has exceeded $500 million in total commitment to support Texas youth and educational programs since 1932. The news comes as the rodeo announces an educational commitment of nearly $27 million for 2020.

This year, the rodeo will award more than $14.2 million in scholarships, more than $8.3 million to junior show exhibitors, more than $3.7 million in educational program grants, and more than $650,000 toward graduate assistantship programs, according to a release.

The rodeo released a breakdown of its financial commitment to education in 2020:

Scholarships
More than 800 scholarships will be awarded through the Rodeo’s nine scholarship programs in 2020, with each recipient receiving a $20,000 scholarship to apply toward a four-year undergraduate degree. Recipients may pursue a major in any field of study at an accredited, not-for-profit Texas college or university.

Junior show exhibitors
Each year, the rodeo draws thousands of Texas 4-H and FFA exhibitors to compete for the title of Houston Champion. Substantial prizes and premiums will be awarded to junior show exhibitors.

Educational program grants
Grants will be awarded to 501(c)(3) charities and accredited institutions of higher education that align with the rodeo’s mission. The Rodeo’s 2020 grant recipients include Brookwood Community, the Houston Grand Opera, NASA – Texas Aerospace Scholars, and The Center for Hearing and Speech, among others.

Graduate assistantships
Funds will also be awarded to graduate assistantship programs at 11 Texas universities, with each university program given the opportunity to administer the application and selection process.

“The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is extremely proud to reach this extraordinary milestone,” said rodeo president and CEO Joel Cowley, in a statement. “Such a remarkable achievement would not have been possible without the longstanding support of our volunteers, attendees, donors, auction buyers, sponsors and staff.”

rodeo charity

Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

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Pop megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has donated $100,000 to the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice Clinic through her BeyGOOD Foundation. The gift will allow the clinic to hire fill-time faculty to head it, benefiting the students who study there.

“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”

The clinic is one of nine at UHLC. It helps students learn to navigate the criminal justice system, especially on behalf of clients that are underserved by skilled attorneys. People of color are affected disproportionately by a lack of good, ethical representation.

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history and easily the biggest musical star native to Houston, has a long history of advocating for criminal justice reform. She was a staunch supporter of the police reform following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, asking law enforcement to “stop killing us” in a web post. In 2020, she penned an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general asking for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, established in 2013, Beyoncé has focused mostly on expanding the prospects of Black-owned business and offering education opportunities to students. Forwarding the cause of legal representation in Texas while also helping out marginalized communities compliments her other philanthropic work.

“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings,” Baynes said. “And together, through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the nation.”