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RODEO 4 LIFE - Set To Save Lives With Electrifying Rodeo & Country Music Entertainment

Announcement posted by Rodeo 4 Life 16 Aug 2019

Rodeo 4 Life, Australia’s richest bull ride with Travis Collins live in concert is ‘giving the gift of life’ with all profits funding life-saving research at the RPA Transplant Institute.

MEDIA RELEASE: 16 August 2019

RODEO 4 LIFE - Set To Save Lives With Electrifying Rodeo & Country Music Entertainment

Rodeo 4 Life, Australia’s richest bull ride extravaganza and country music concert will explode in an action-packed arena spectacular on Saturday 30 November 2019 at WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong to save lives through funding vital research at the RPA Transplant Institute.

In an Australian first, Rodeo 4 Life will combine electrifying rodeo sports entertainment starring some of Australia’s toughest bull riding champions from all corners of Australia with a full length live concert by seven-time Golden Guitar winner and back-to-back CMC Male Artist of the Year, Travis Collins, performing some of his greatest hits.

Rodeo 4 Life will be a thrilling night of entertainment featuring a star-studded line-up of bull riding daredevil cowboys fighting the odds to stay mounted for the full 8 seconds on the legendary JP Gill and Sons’ mightiest rodeo bulls as they compete for the championship title and a whopping $30,000 in prize money.

Rodeo 4 Life producer Doug Vickers OAM, a long-time rodeo man who’s produced many large-scale rodeo events across Australia said, “The audience should be prepared for an ‘edge of their seat’ experience when Rodeo 4 Life rocks The Gong with a thrilling, action-packed night of electrifying live rodeo and country music entertainment.”

While Rodeo 4 Life will be exhilarating, Australia’s bull riding champions won’t just be bucking for the grand prize when they burst from chutes on powerful  bulls in the ride of their lives; they’ll risk all by ‘riding for a greater cause’ – to raise bucks that can save lives through funding organ transplant research at the RPA Transplant Institute (RPATI).

Doug Vickers is more than a businessman, he’s also a grateful RPA liver transplant recipient who’s doing much more than setting the bar high for Australian rodeo sports entertainment; he’s also increasing awareness of organ donation and funding essential life-saving organ transplant research with 100% of profits dedicated to research at the RPATI.

“The most humbling experience I’ve ever had in my life was to receive an organ transplant. I’m so grateful when I think that someone cared enough and had the forethought to donate their organs to others – what greater gift could you possible give to someone than this.

“I hope that through Rodeo 4 Life we can raise funds for the RPATI machine perfusion research studies and build greater awareness of organ donation so that these things will work together to increase the number of life-saving transplants in Australia. This is my quest,” Mr Vickers said.

With the funds raised from Rodeo 4 Life the RPATI can continue development of a world first organ perfusion system that will be able to extend organ viability from the current length of just a few hours to become viable for several days. This will allow more organs to be made available for transplant with greater number of Australian lives saved.

Rodeo 4 Life audiences will come from across Australia to be part of something that’s so much more than a night of exciting entertainment - they’ll have the time of their lives and give seriously ill people time to live,” said Mr Vickers.

Travis Collins, who’s well known for his tireless fundraising efforts by dedicating his talents to causes close to his heart to help others said, “It’s an incredible honour to perform at Rodeo 4 Life. While music, song writing, recording and performing is my life, there is something very special about being part of something bigger that has the power to save the lives of many.”

Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPA) has long been Australia’s pioneers in organ transplant research and surgery having saved thousands of lives through developing breakthroughs to benefit all Australians.

RPA Transplant Services has given the gift of life to more than 1940 people in need of liver transplants at either RPA or The Children’s Hospital at Westmead (formerly Camperdown) and performed more than 3000 kidney transplants giving Australian’s freedom from dialysis and a second chance at life.

“By inviting Australians to register to become an organ donor and through funding vital research at the RPATI, we’ll be increasing the number of organs that can be transplanted and together we can save more lives,” Mr Vickers said.

For tickets to the Rodeo 4 Life spectacular, visit Ticketmaster or rodeo4life.com.au.

-ENDS-


INTERVIEW REQUESTS

Insight Communications on: 02 9518 4744

 

INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES

1.      Doug Vickers OAM - Rodeo 4 Life producer and RPA Liver transplant recipient

2.      Travis Collins - Seven-time Golden Guitar winner and back-to-back CMC Male Artist of the Year

3.      John ‘Happy” Gill of JP Gill & Sons – Rodeo 4 Life stock contractor

4.      Researchers from the RPA Transplant Institute

5.      Organ Transplant Recipients - Located throughout Australia

6.      Rodeo 4 Life Champion Cowboys - Located throughout Australia

 

RODEO 4 LIFE LINKS

1.      Rodeo 4 Life Website: https://rodeo4life.com.au/

2.      Rodeo 4 Life Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rodeo4lifeau/

3.      BOOK NOW at Ticketmaster: http://bit.ly/RFL-BOOK

 

RODEO 4 LIFE MEDIA CENTRE – DOWNLOADS

1.      Photographs of spokespersons, cowboys, rodeo images and rodeo bulls: http://bit.ly/RFL-Media

2.      Broadcast quality interviews with Professor Simone Strasser of RPA Transplant Services on Doug Vickers’ remarkable organ transplant story and the importance of Rodeo 4 Life in funding vital research: http://bit.ly/RPATI-Interview

DONATE LIFE - TAKE 4 STEPS TODAY TO SAVE LIVES!

By taking the time to register, you’ll give someone else the time to live.

1.      Decide to become an organ donor

2.      Register today by visiting https://donatelife.gov.au/

3.      Talk to your family and friends – tell them your decision and invite them to register to be and organ donor too!

4.      Make your tax-deductible donation to the RPA Transplant Institute TODAY to further research into organ transplantation to help save lives! Donate: https://www.mycause.com.au/payment/frp_donation/211566

 

JOURNALIST NOTES

RODEO 4 LIFE

Rodeo 4 Life on Saturday 30 November 2019, at WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong, is Australia’s richest bull ride spectacular with $30,000 in prize money up for grabs with seven-time Golden Guitar winner and back-to-back CMC Male Artist of the Year, Travis Collins performing live in concert.

Rodeo 4 Life is the inspiration of Doug Vickers OAM, rodeo sports producer and liver transplant recipient.

Rodeo 4 Life will be conducted in accordance with policies, rules and industry standards of Rodeo Services Australia (RSA), and the NSW Code of Practice for animals used in rodeo events.

Rodeo 4 Life will be conducted in accordance with animal welfare standards, registration and licensing systems of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA). An RSPCA representative will be invited to be on site to oversee the event and a veterinarian will be in attendance.

Whilst the event is raising funds to go toward Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Transplant Service; the hospital or Sydney Local Health District is not involved in the conduct or organisation of this event.

DOUG VICKERS OAM

Doug Vickers was born and raised in Townsville, North Queensland. In 1970 he joined the Australian military serving in the RAAF in Australia and overseas.

In 1991, Doug Vickers was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in the Australia Day Honours List for his service to the military.

In 1999, following his discharge from military service, Doug went on to teach at the National Aerospace Centre of Excellence until 2013 when he ventured into the world of business purchasing Loam and Stone Landscape supplies and establishing his engineering company which he operates today.

Doug Vickers’ life-saving transplant that Led to the launch of Rodeo 4 Life

In 1981, Doug’s health began to decline. Doug was diagnosed with Crohn's disease and eventually Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) - a long-term progressive disease of the liver and gallbladder.  Although the disease was not life-threatening at the time, by 2015 Doug’s health began to decline rapidly and he was required to regularly travel from Wagga Wagga in the NSW Riverina to RPA for treatment.  After a near-death crisis, Doug was advised that he needed a liver transplant to survive.

On 23 December 2015, Doug underwent a life-saving a liver transplant at RPA. After receiving the gift of life and the lengthy recovery period that followed, Doug learned of the funding challenges faced by researchers at the RPA Transplant Institute and became passionate about creating a unique event that could generate essential funds for vital research that could save the lives of others.

With a family background in rodeo sports dating back to the late 1940s and having produced many large-scale rodeo events across Australia and served on the Judges Panel for both the APRA and ABCRA Associations, Doug initiated Rodeo 4 Life to generate much needed funds to support organ transplant research at the RPA Transplant Institute. 

On 8 August 2019, in an Australian first Doug Vickers OAM announced Rodeo 4 Life as Australia’s richest bull ride extravaganza and country music concert with 100% of profits dedicated to funding research at the RPA Transplant Institute.

Rodeo 4 Life will be held on 30 November 2019 at WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong NSW.

RPA TRANSPLANT INSTITUTE

Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPA) has long been Australia’s pioneers in organ transplant research and surgery having saved thousands of lives through developing breakthroughs to benefit all Australians.

In NSW, RPA Transplant Services has given the gift of life to more than 1940 people in need of liver transplants at either RPA or The Children’s Hospital at Westmead (formerly Camperdown) and performed more than 3000 kidney transplants giving Australian’s freedom from dialysis and a second chance at life.

The RPA Transplant Institute, the research arm of RPA Transplant Services was founded in 2006 to promote and support transplant research projects undertaken by scientists and transplant clinicians at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPA), the University of Sydney and the Children’s Hospital at Westmead.  The RPA Transplant Institute is part of Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPA), Australia’s pioneers in kidney and liver transplantation research and surgery with organ transplantation one of the many miracles of modern medicine created at RPA.

In its first ten years, the RPA Transplant Institute funded many vital life-saving transplant research programmes that initiated innovative ideas and converted them into high quality research capable of saving and improving the lives of transplant recipients. While thousands of lives have been saved through organ transplant surgery, there are still many more Australian’s who won’t survive without vital research to increase the number of life-saving transplants that can be performed each year.  

Rodeo 4 Life will enable the RPA Transplant Institute to conduct world first research using state-of-the-art technologies known as organ machine perfusion to extend organ viability from the current length of just a few hours to become viable for several days and thereby increase the number of organs that can be transplanted.

Organ machine perfusion both preserves organs and enables previously unsuitable organs to be reconditioned and made suitable for transplantation.  This vital research will set a new Australian benchmark providing far-reaching benefits to all Australians in need of life-saving organ transplant surgery.

RODEO 4 LIFE ENTERTAINMENT

TRAVIS COLLINS

Rodeo 4 Life will star seven-time Golden Guitar winner and back-to-back CMC Male Artist of the Year, Travis Collins performing some of his greatest hits including Just Another Girl, Call Me Crazy, and Hard Light.

A dynamic guitarist, vocalist and live performer, Travis Collins has established himself as a leading artist in the Australian music industry.  Travis is a multiple CMAA and CMC Award winner with a growing string of hit albums, #1 songs, awards and a decade of winning fans all across the country under his belt. Well-known for his masterful guitar playing and powerhouse vocals as he is for his depth of song-writing and high energy live performances, Travis Collins continues to cement his footprint as a mainstay on the Australian music landscape.

GLEN MORGAN - RODEO ANNOUNCER

Glen Morgan is a name synonymous with Australian rodeo sports. Glen rode saddle broncs for more than 15 years winning 13 Australian titles. Glen also and competed in Canada and the U.S.A in the 1980s and 1990s before retiring from championship rodeo competition to become one of the best rodeo announcers in the business.

GENE MCDONALD –RODEO PROTECTION CLOWN

Rodeo protection clowns are risk takers who do more than entertain the audience during bull riding rodeo sports - they put their life on the line to distract the bulls away from grounded riders.  Gene will have one of the most important and dangerous roles in the Rodeo 4 Life arena - to protect the star cowboys from the bulls when they hit the ground so they can get back to the chutes in safety.

BIG AL WILSON - RODEO CLOWN

It wouldn’t be a Rodeo spectacular without Big Al Wilson, Australia’s class act Rodeo Clown.  A former pro bull rider and a seasoned veteran of rodeo entertainment, Big Al Wilson has won the title of Australia’s Rodeo Clown of the Year, 15 times.  For 20 years, Big Al Wilson has performed at Australia's largest rodeos including at all the National Finals in Australia and New Zealand, the National Finals for ABCRA, NRCA, APRA and NZPRA, and will be the star Clown again this year at all National Finals Rodeos. 

JP GILL & SONS CHAMPION RODEO BULLS

Rodeo 4 Life will star some of Australia’s mightiest rodeo bulls, bred and trained by legendary JP Gill & Sons, our official stock contractor. “Happy” John P Gill, and his sons - John, Jason and Jarrod could easily be considered Australia’s “Rodeo Royalty” with a family bloodline of western-style performers dating back to the early days of Australia’s Wild West Buck Jumping Shows.

From humble beginnings JP Gill & Sons have bred a bloodline of champion rodeo bulls beginning with Dr Jekyll and 007 purchased from Noel Cook of the Running N Quarter Horse Ranch at Nathalia, Victoria.  

The Secret of Breeding Champion Rodeo Bulls

What stands JP Gill & Sons’ prized rodeo bulls apart from other breeders is the Gill family philosophy that’s been handed down from generation to generation. Every bull born on the Gill family property at The Rock is loved, nurtured, and educated from birth which is why at just 3-to-4 weeks of age, the calves will run up to Happy and Sons looking for affection, attention and their supper. They grow up smart and accustomed to working with people. And they grow up surrounded by their great uncles and aunts, cousins, brothers and sisters. They’re more than a herd, they’re a family, and each of them has their own personality and characteristics just like people.

JP Gill & Sons’ bulls start their performance career at approximately 3-4 years of age and are ridden in the rodeo arena for around 2 minutes each year.  Bulls perform for around 10-12 years. These bulls live comfortable, stress-free lives roaming and grazing the green pastures where they were born.  Each are individually hand fed daily with good quality oats, lucerne hay and molasses licks for additional vitamins to ensure they remain content and in peak condition. 

When these pampered bulls travel for rodeos, they travel in style and comfort in their own purpose built semi-trailer standing on special soft bedding (a mixture of sawdust and sand) rather than standing on a cold steel floor and are unloaded at specific intervals and rested to stretch their legs and shoot the breeze in readiness for their 8 seconds of stardom in the rodeo arena.

Currently, JP Gill & Sons have around 60 rodeo bulls and over 100 cows, young bulls and calves who live a good, free and easy life and when they retire, they live out their twilight years in the paddocks of their birth being handfed and watching over the next generation of JP Gill & Sons’ rodeo champions.