Dee Jay Silver sits on stage after meeting wish kids from Western Wishes.
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Partnering with the charitable organization Western Wishes, This Is Country added a segment to their daily live show at the Rodeo Cowboy Marketplace during NFR to introduce wish kids to the artists and rodeo stars that are their heroes.
Justin Boots presents their gifts to Hannah and Jake
The show on Sunday, December 4 featured three Western Wishes’ kids, Hannah, who was previously diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin Lymphoma, Jake, who has been diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes, and Zach, who injured himself in a heroic effort to save someone else. The kids were given the opportunity to meet country music’s Dee Jay Silver, who performs every night during NFR at MGM Grand’s Gold Buckle Zone.
Clyde and Elsie Frost (Parents of late rodeo legend Lane Frost) with Brian Doty
Western footwear company Justin Boots also made an appearance to present each child with their very own pair of cowboy boots. After the show, the Fashion Posse took wish kid, Hannah, around the booths at Cowboy Christmas to deck her out in the latest of Western fashion for the rodeo.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”31468″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_shadow_3d”][/vc_column][/vc_row]
The moment a bull's gate swings open—that's when Patrick "OD" O'Donnell feels most alive. From his early days riding bareback through Arizona pastures to revolutionizing the bull riding industry as President of Bull Riders Only, OD has lived the Western lifestyle he now champions as Founder of Cowboy Lifestyle Network. Growing up in Casa Grande's sunbaked agricultural heartland, he didn't just learn about horses and ranching, he lived it daily, developing the instincts and grit that would later attract 4 million followers to CLN's authentic voice. After his baseball days at the University of Arizona, OD saw something others missed: bull riding wasn't just a sport, but was compelling entertainment waiting for the right vision. Between 1990-1997, his leadership transformed local rodeo competitions into sold-out arena events that changed Western sports forever. Today, that same pioneering spirit drives CLN's coverage of everything from championship rodeos to the quiet heroism of ranch life. When he's not building the digital home for cowboy culture, you'll find OD supporting Harris Brothers Charity Foundation, leading CLN’s 25-year Christmas Toy Drive for Arizona kids, or sharing his love of horsemanship with special needs riders through Arizona's own Horses Help. Living proof that authentic Western values still have the power to transform lives.
