Tough Enough to Wear Purple for The Dax Locke Foundation and Miss Rodeo Illinois

Are you Tough Enough to Wear Purple, TOO? The Pro Rodeo Cowboy's Association (PRCA) has been raising money for breast cancer awareness for the past 10 years! Many have claimed to be Tough Enough to Wear Pink for breast cancer. However, now by making the step to wear purple as well, you are bringing awareness not only tobreast cancer, but ALL cancer types! Please join myself, Miss Rodeo Illinois, in a fundraiser for the families and children of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital as well as helping me represent Illinois, the PRCA, and the western way of life at the 2015 Miss Rodeo America Pageant during the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas this December!


The Dax Foundation's Mission Statement: to help the families and children of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Read Dax's Story: Julie Locke from Washington Illinois, was thrilled to be expecting, became the proud mother of a healthy baby boy, Dax Ryan Locke, born on June 26, 2007. At six months old, Dax began getting colds and ear infections constantly. Julie was diligent in her struggle to help Dax regain his health took him repeatedly to the pediatrician who assured her it was a virus and he would be fine. On Dax's first birthday, with two ear infections and both eyes infected, he was admitted to the hospital. The doctors thought he was just dehydrated from the sickness and would perk up after getting some fluids. Three hospitals later she landed in Memphis, Tennessee at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital with her baby who was now diagnosed with AML M7 leukemia. Although shocked, grief stricken, and exhausted from the emotional toll the last six months had taken, adrenaline kicked in and Julie from that second began the battle to do all she could for her baby son, Dax. AML M7 leukemia is common in men over 65; Dax was only 15 months old when he was diagnosed. Dax began rounds of chemotherapy but it was not working; his body was so full of cancer by the time he was diagnosed the treatments could not stop the growth of the cancer. St. Jude and the wonderful staff of doctors and nurses never gave up on Dax. After the chemotherapy treatments failed and with no other options to try, Dax was enrolled in an experimental protocol where he would undergo a stem cell transplant. If Dax had not been taken to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital his story would have ended here. Given this new hope, Dax received his first transplant from his mother, Julie's stem cells. The cancer returned in Dax's small body even harder. Again, St. Jude offered another transplant, but unfortunately Dax's little body just couldn't beat the disease and returned home in mid-October to “Cherish Every Moment”. The doctors thought he probably would not live through Christmas. Julie will forever remember the time and effort St. Jude put into saving Dax's life and most importantly for the gift of extra time they were able to spend with her precious son. At home and with Dax, Julie decided to celebrate one last Christmas with her son. Dax especially loved the Christmas lights on the tree and on the house and soon the neighborhood began asking why they had Christmas lights up before Halloween? As the story spread, within days the neighborhood and soon the town of Washington was lit for Dax. His story was a headline on CNN and Dax's story captured the hearts of literally thousands of people. Before they knew it, Christmas lights had actually gone up all around the world for Dax. Dax did live to see Christmas day. He passed away December 30th, 2009. Despite her sadness, Julie knew that Dax's story, which had touched so many people, could be used to bring awareness to childhood cancer and the work of St. Jude and started a foundation called The Dax Foundation. The foundation's purpose is to raise $1.8 million dollars to run St. Jude Children's Research Hospital for one day in honor of Dax! Julie began chipping away at this goal by running fundraisers and spreading the word. Singer and songwriter,Matthew Westreached out to help after hearing Dax's story. He wrote a song calledOne Last Christmasand the song went viral! Matthew donated all the money he made from the song to to the Dax Foundation! A producer heard the song, decided it would make a charming Christmas movie (One Last Christmas) telling how the neighborhood came together for Dax and put up their Christmas lights and filming began. The movie was aired December 4th, 2011 on GMC network and broke every record the network had ever set. Dax's story has moved the world. To this date over a million dollars has been raised to help Julie Locke meet her goal for her sweet boy, Dax.

Read Katie's Story:Katie Perry, Miss Rodeo Illinois 2014, is Illinois’ First Lady of Professional Rodeo, began her reign Jan. 1, 2014, and will compete for the coveted Miss Rodeo America 2015 crown in Las Vegas, Nev., held in conjunction with the National Finals Rodeo this December. She is so thrilled to have this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to represent her beautiful state of Illinois all across America as an ambassador of goodwill and promoting the western way of life.

She is the 22 year old daughter of Dennis and Cheryl Perry of Spring Bay, Ill. She is a graduate of Illinois Central College where she earned an Associate’s Degree in Agriculture. Like most young girls, Katie dreamed of having her own horse. She did not have parents who grew up around horses, let alone had any experience with them like many of the people in the horse industry, but she did have supportive parents and that’s all she could ask for. At the age of ten, her amazing parents blessed her with her first horse. From that day on, she has won many classes and championships over the years, but more times than none she did not take home the prize. But she has never allowed herself to stay down. Katie has always gotten back up and brushed off her jeans and went for another go-round. Her life has revolved around learning from others as well as learning from experiences in hopes of becoming a good influence on someone else. She believes she can do just that by wearing the crown of Miss Rodeo Illinois and she couldn’t be more honored.

She is a member of the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), American Ranch Horse Association (ARHA), National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA), Ranch Sorting National Championships (RSNC), Illinois Quarter Horse Association (IQHA) and the Illinois Ranch Horse Association (ILRHA). Throughout her childhood, she participated in 4-H and open horse shows across Illinois. She is the 2008 Section 5 FFA Horsemanship and Western Pleasure Champion, 2009 Section 5 FFA Halter and Showmanship Champion, 2010 State 4-H 2010 AQHA Registered Halter Mare Reserve Champion, 2010 7th place State 4-H Showmanship exhibitor, 2011 10th place State 4-H AQHA Registered Halter Mare, 2011 Marshall-Putnam County Fair Reserve Grand Champion winner, along with many other open horse show championships with a focus on showmanship and halter. She now competes in Ranch Sorting. She is the 2012-2013 ILRHA Winter Series +1 Sort High Point Champion.

This year she had been traveling throughout the U.S.promoting the sport of Professional Rodeo and the State of Illinois, the equine industry, and the western way of life as she prepares to compete in the 60th Miss Rodeo America Pageant. She had been to many PRCA ProRodeos including big name rodeos such as the Denver Stock Show in Denver, CO, the Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo in Guthrie, OK, the Buffalo Bill Rodeo and NEBRASKAland Days in North Platte, NE, the Calgary Stampede in Calgary, AB, Canada, Cheyenne Frontier Days in Cheyenne, WY, the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo in Dodge City, KS. She is so blessed to have this pageant in her state at an amazing ProRodeo! After Palestine, she will head to Fort Madison, IA for the Tri-State Rodeo (Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri), and will finish her rodeo travels at the Great Lakes Circuit Finals Rodeo in Louisville, KY. Katie also attend the ProRodeo Hall of Fame Inductions in Colorado Springs, CO, as well as participated in the Miss Rodeo Texas Pageant. Aside from the rodeo appearances, Katie has been bringing awareness to all cancer types. Shehas visited many schools, nursing homes, helped with Central Illinois Riding Therapy (CIRT), raised money for St. Jude, and promotes the Dax Locke Foundation. She would like to thank her parents as well as the rest of her family and friends that have supported her. Thank you to all her amazing sponsors! She would not be where she is today without any of them! Isaiah 40:31