Jericho's Foundation Hosts Del Rio's First-Ever Downtown Bull Riding Event

Jericho's Foundation made an exciting introduction for themselves as they hosted the first "Bull Bash on South Main" this past weekend. The organization, which just established itself this year, has plans to serve the community in many ways throughout the year and many years to come. Del Rioans and visitors from out of town came to enjoy the foundation's first fundraiser which, prior to the event, left many asking... "How will the foundation be able to arrange a bull riding event in the downtown area?"

A nicely sized arena with railing, gates, and many inches of dirt located at an intersection on South Main Street seemed to be their answer and it took the community by surprise! Jericho's Foundation Vice President, Hector Rodriguez shared with us, "Why not do something free for the community of Del Rio? Other cities do it. While it's the first bull riding (event) on a street here in Del Rio it has been done in front of the Alamo before they famously did it, the USS Lexington, they've done it in Bandera in a parking lot. The idea came from Mr. Ray Valero, he's part of the arena people and he's traveled with his arena for several places he's worked with us at Gorzigui's before and he told me the idea. He goes, 'Hey we did the bull riding in front of the Alamo, why can't we do it for Del Rio?' and so he generously donated his arena and his time to put this event together." and it seems the foundation made a good call. Bringing in many locals and out-of-towners to the event. While attending the event you can hear many shocked in excitement at the setup, no one in Del Rio having seen anything like this in town.

The event brought many visitors. Many of the riders brought in from all over Texas and included some of Del Rio's very own. We also had visitors from neighboring cities wanting to see and support Del Rio's new event. "I think about this event and it's a great event very family friendly." Miss Kinney County, Jacqueline Pacheco shares.

Jericho's Foundation, located in Del Rio, Texas, is a non-profit organization created to commemorate the memory of Jericho, a dedicated philanthropist and military veteran who passed away from cancer following a long struggle. The foundation, spearheaded by Vice President Hector Rodriguez and a group of dedicated volunteers, aims to support veterans and cancer patients through various fundraising events and community activities.

"The foundation is named after a friend of mine that sadly passed away. He was an avid philanthropist... He really was about giving more than taking," Hector Rodriguez shared. Jericho, known for his selfless acts, was committed to helping others even during his struggle with cancer. "When his cancer came back and he was in the hospital for a few months, well obviously his bills were stacking up and whatnot. So we did a benefit for him. Since he was so giving, we wanted to give to him," Rodriguez recounted, highlighting the foundation's origins.

Jericho's spirit of giving continues to inspire the foundation's goals and activities. "We presented the money to Jericho in the hospital. Being the guy that he was, he used a little bit of the money to help him catch up on his bills. Then he used the rest of the money to buy the other vets air mattresses that prevent bed sores," Rodriguez recalled.

"Jericho's main goals are two-part. We're here to help the community two-fold. The first thing we're going to do is we're going to produce shows and entertainment and try to bring people to Del Rio and provide entertainment for the people in Del Rio. Once we produce these shows, with the profits from the shows that we do and the events that we do and the fundraising, we plan to help vets in need and cancer patients in need at a grassroots level here in Del Rio," Rodriguez explained.

At the conclusion of this unique event, we spoke with city officials on their thoughts of this event. "This is the first event downtown of live rodeo, live bulls, and a lot of participants coming from all over Texas. And this is a good event for the community to come out and enjoy. And I can see that everybody had a good time, and everybody was safe. All the animals were safe, and all the citizens were safe." Councilman Jesus Lopez Jr. shared. "So it's a good, good, good turnout, and a good organization that put it all together," shared Mayor Al Arreola "You never know what other excitement we bring into our community. And this is, like I said, it's the first one ever, downtown Del Rio. You know, and this is the beginning of other things we want to progress... Enjoy it. Because then, as they say, September is coming up. And that's another event we want to invite everybody out."

The Bull Bash was a success. Many families and individuals were clapping, and screaming in excitement. The foundation's grassroots efforts ensure that Jericho's legacy of generosity and compassion continues to touch lives, providing hope and support to those in need. In remembering Jericho, the foundation keeps his spirit alive, growing a community where giving back is a cherished value.