WranglerTough Enough To Wear Pink Raised $14.5 Million Fight Breast Cancer

Related: Wranger, Tough Enough to Wear Pink, Apparel

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Wrangler Tough Enough To Wear Pink (TETWP), the grassroots cowboy campaign fighting breast cancer since 2004, celebrated its eighth anniversary this year by surpassing the $14.5 million mark in funds raised since its inception. Hundreds of volunteers and regional rodeos across the U.S. and Canada made this achievement possible. The top 2012 fundraising rodeo events included Cattleman's Day in Gunnison, Colo, Missoula Stampede, Black Hills Stock Show and Rodeo, Minot Y's Men's Rodeo, Red Bluff Round-Up and the bell ringer event, Cowboys for Cancer, Las Cruces, NM.

"We were thrilled to announce we surpassed the $14.5 million mark at the WranglerNational Final Rodeo in Las Vegas on Wrangler Tough Enough To Wear Pink Night," explains Terry Wheatley , who founded the campaign alongside former Wrangler Director of Special Events and current Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Commissioner, Karl Stressman . "All money raised benefits local breast cancer charities and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, which funds groundbreaking breast cancer research projects internationally."

Wrangler Tough Enough to Wear Pink was created eight years ago when Wheatley and Stressman issued a challenge to the cowboys: Are You Tough Enough To Wear Pink? During one night of the 10-night Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, the competitors were dared to wear the color pink to bring attention to the need for early detection and a cure for breast cancer, a disease which affects many families in the western community. Cowboys and cowgirls created a sensation when they galloped into the championship arena ablaze in pink. Inspired rodeo fans soon began asking how they could put on Wrangler TETWP events at their own hometown rodeos, and the grassroots fundraising took off one rodeo at a time. Wrangler Tough Enough To Wear Pink Night has become an annual Wrangler National Finals Rodeo tradition, which took place this year Monday, Dec. 10.

Wheatley, a California entrepreneur who owns and operates Canopy Management, a Napa Valley wine company creating, marketing and selling wine under the Wine Sisterhood banner, is a rodeo wife, mom and breast cancer survivor. One of Wine Sisterhood's wines, Purple Cowboy, is the official wine of Wrangler TETWP. Purple Cowboy is also the official wine of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.

Purple Cowboy wines include Tenacious Red, a Cabernet/Merlot blend, Trail Boss Cabernet and Night Rider Merlot, all from the cowboy wine country appellation of Paso Robles.

TETWP continues to be spearheaded by Wheatley, while the Wrangler brand remains the program's title sponsor, selling the official pink apparel. Lacey and Katie Wheatley coordinate with rodeos and other non-rodeo organizations to create the pink-themed fundraisers across the country throughout the year.

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