We salute the Ocala Shrine Club for donating almost $50,000 to the Shriner's Children Hospital this year. This brings the total to $1.35 million in donations from our local Shriners. When you think about all the kids in Marion County and how kids are our future, we have nothing but the highest praise for all the hardworking members of the Ocala Shrine Club and their contribution to our community.This is a professional rodeo, Public Relations Chairman Larry Koblentz said. Rodeo cowboys get points toward national finals. The Ocala rodeo is a sanctioned Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) event. Events include bull riding, steer wrestling, bronco riding, team roping, barrel racing and tie down roping.One of the high points of the Ocala Shrine Rodeo for members is the special rodeo for the nearly 200 physically challenged children who are sponsored by the Ocala club. These Marion County children are receiving or have received medical care at Shriners Tampa Orthopedic Hospital or the Shriners Burn Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.These children are invited to attend the rodeo, and about 30 are selected to participate in a series of rodeo events appropriate for their special needs. Kids are paired with a rodeo professional and guided through such events as goat riding, roping dummy steers, riding a hand-rocked bull or taking a real horseback ride. The kids all get a cowboy hat, bandanna, contestant number, lariat rope and T-shirt, Koblentz said, adding that each also gets a trophy. They are all winners. In previous years, this special rodeo took place on Sundays before the regular performance, but members thought the heat would be less severe in late afternoon. This year the event is scheduled for Thursday at 4 p.m. and is free. Each year, a Rodeo Princess and Rodeo Buckaroo are selected from the young patients and will be introduced at this Thursday event. Last years princess was Megan Simons, and the buckaroo was Joshua Logsdon. Because the rodeo is completely produced by the club, it keeps members working throughout the year, Koblentz explained. From hiring specialty acts to selecting concessions to obtaining sponsors to selling tickets, the club members do it all. They also oversee at least 200 volunteers at each performance.When we finish this rodeo, we are already working on the next one, he said. All proceeds from the rodeo go to the Shriners childrens hospitals. The club has raised $1.2 million from the rodeos over the years, Koblentz said. He calls the work provided by the 400-member club a labor of love because proceeds go to such a worthy cause. There is no charge for treatment at any Shriners hospital, Koblentz said.