The first year of life is filled with challenges and adjustments, and is never a time of huge expectations. New babies can’t do much – new organizations likewise struggle to find their feet and make progress.
The Giving Back Foundation (GBF), a Montana-based non-profit entity pledged to help hurting ranchers and farmers nationwide, turned a year old last December, and has been exemplary in growing up into the “good neighbor” premise it was founded upon.
Co-founder and President of the GBF, T.J. Casey of Billings, Montana, says, “As a cowboy and a horse trainer, I have been on or around ranches and ranchers all my life. They have been the backbone of America by providing our food, clothing, and other necessities, and it’s time to give something back. They’ve faced drought, fire, flash floods, tornadoes, blizzards and hail, and there is nothing more devastating to a rancher or farmer than to suffer loss of fields, pasture, livestock, grain, fence or winter feed.”
Alleviating some of that loss is the mission of GBF, and in its first year the fledgling organization found many opportunities to fulfill that mission.
The first money extended to hurting farmers and ranchers went to Colorado, during the big winter blizzards early in 2007. All travel was paralyzed, roads were drifted shut for days, and many cattle died for lack of both feed and water. Even after the crisis, ag producers suffered great expense and continued loss as they tried to dig out from under the snow.
Ranchers and farmers who have endured several years of drought, grass fires, flooding in some areas, and other natural disasters find their savings depleted and no money available when their kids graduate from high school and want to go to college. Realizing this, the Giving Back Foundation reached out to the states of Montana, Washington and Idaho with scholarship money for freshmen coming from farms and ranches into the Ag Department and planning to return to those farms and ranches after college. Under this program, GBF scholarships were given to the University of Idaho, Washington State University, and Montana State University.
In November of 2007 the Sweetgrass Creek region near Melville, Montana was devastated by a fast-moving wildfire that swept across ranches, pastures, hayfields and homesteads with a hungry vengeance, devouring everything in its path. All lost barns, outbuildings, vehicles, fences, winter hay supplies and more. On behalf of GBF, T.J. Casey presented a check to Chuck Rein, president of the Crazy Mountain Stockgrowers at the 2007 Montana Stockgrowers Annual Convention held in Billings last December.
Neighbor helping neighbor is the cowboy way. Evidence of that, incorporating the appreciation of the region, are the GBF benefit concerts scheduled during the fourth annual South Central Montana Cowboy & Ranch Heritage Week in Livingston, Montana. Two shows, at 3 pm and 7 pm on April 6th at the Park County Fairgrounds will feature, Montana Cowboy T.J. Casey, Henry Real Bird and the Armentaro Brothers. Rounding out the star-studded cast of entertainers will be Marvin Rainwater and Ray Benson, backed by members of the venerable and ever popular group Asleep At The Wheel.
This is a great opportunity to have fun, be royally entertained, and lend support to the Giving Back Foundation for more information call 406-222-1993. Tickets will be on sale at all Corral West stores in Billings, Livingston and Bozeman and at Hanson Music and the Native American Trading Post in Billings.
Another springtime opportunity for increasing the coffers of GBF will come to Three Forks, Montana on April 26th, 2008. A benefit concert, with donations at the door and all proceeds going to the GBF, will be held at the Ruby Theatre.
This event is in conjunction with the Spring Roundup and Drive of Montana Horses, Kail & Renee Mantle, and the performance will begin around 4 pm, after the horses are trailed through downtown Three Forks. The concert will include a variety of music, humor and poetry from several outstanding artists – Jim Reader, T.J. Casey, Kail Mantle, Rhonda Sedgwick Stearns and the ever-popular Ringling 5.
Last year the Montana Horses trail drive attracted some 16,000 spectators to Three Forks, so this will be too good to miss. Mark your calendars now, and go to http://www.montanahorses.com/ for more information on the drive.
The sale of GBF’s initial fundraiser, a two-CD set featuring original compositions and performances by 25 of the top cowboy musicians, poets and singer/songwriters in today’s cowboy culture movement, continues, with all proceeds going to GBF.
To buy CD’s or donate to the Giving Back Foundation, call (406) 442-3420 or write Giving Back Foundation c/o Montana Stockgrowers Association, 420 North California Street, Helena, Montana 59601. And be sure check out http://www.ranchersandfarmers.org/ to learn more about the Giving Back Foundation, a young organization that’s fulfilling its mission in many wonderful ways.
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