BY LINDA BENTLEY | JULY 23, 2014
Cave Creek Rodeo seeking financial assistance
Fiesta Days Rodeo sold out all three shows with standing room only but still had to turn away 500 rodeo fans
CAVE CREEK – Traci Casale (left), president of the Cave Creek Pro Rodeo Association (CCPRA), took to the podium during Call to the Public during Monday night’s council meeting to make a plea to the town for some monetary assistance.
Casale said the 2014 Fiesta Days Rodeo had its best year ever, received no complaints and sold out all three shows.
However, even with standing room only, she told council they had to turn away 500 rodeo fans.
She said the CCPRA contributed more than 600 labor hours and over $6,000 in materials toward improvements at the rodeo grounds.
Additionally, she said Elrod Fence donated over $5,000 in materials.
Casale noted parking is a problem but what they really need are bleachers. According to Casale, the bleachers are not code compliant and do not provide enough seating.
She stated lighting in the arena is also still an issue.
With estimates just coming in, Casale said it will cost approximately $75,000 to replace the bleachers in Section 5 on the east side, which would double the amount of seating and bring them up to code.
Karl Stressman (above, right), commissioner of the Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), also spoke, stating he was a new Cave Creek resident as well.
Stressman said PRCA sanctions approximately 600 rodeos per year and attendance was up about 20 percent.
He said when people have limited entertainment dollars, if they turn away too many people, they don’t come back. Those dollars are spent elsewhere.
Mayor Vincent Francia commented on behalf of Danny Piacquadio from Harold’s, who was unable to attend, stating business at Harold’s over Fiesta Days was up $40,000 from last year.
