Shriner partnership shines a light on orthopedic care
BY REBECCA HUNTINGTON
Jackson Hole Snow Devils presents a $30,000 donation to the Jackson Hole Shrine Club at the rodeo.
Connecting valley kids to life-changing medical procedures, Shriners chapter forges on with help from Jackson Hole Rodeo's Wilson family. By Evan Robinson-Johnson
W
hen the Jackson Hole Cutter races shut down three years ago, the local Shriners weren’t sure how their organization would continue to fundraise. Then the Wilson family, which runs the Jackson Hole Rodeo every summer, reached out, offering to donate all of the proceeds from two late-season shows, and the tradition has continued ever since. The Jackson Hole Shrine Club is part of a broader fraternity, Shriners International, which supports a network of teaching hospitals that focus on nonemergency procedures to improve quality of life, such as bone deformations, burns and cleft palates. Since partnering with the Wilsons, the Jackson club has raised over $100,000 each year for its partner hospital in Salt Lake City. “The relationship has been phenomenal,” club Vice President Tom Needam said of the Wilsons. “They’re 8
much more than just a rodeo busi- for the hospital that changed his life. ness. They have a vested interest in The Jackson club has helped make giving back to the community.” that treatment affordable and accesSeveral members of the rodeo fam- sible: A core mission of Shriners hosily have needed care from the Salt pitals is to provide specialized care reLake facility, and they’ve come back gardless of ability to pay. under the fairSo what exactly ground lights to makes a Shriner? tell their story. In practice, they Phil Wilson “They’re much more than function similar and Needam reto a town Rotary member the first a rodeo business. They have Club, but when year of their part- a vested interest in giving the first Freenership, when mason members one such patient back to the community.” joined up in 1870, came forward dur— Tom Needham they called theming intermission selves the Ancient JACKSON HOLE SHRINE CLUB to speak to the Arabic Order of crowd. Quickly the Nobles of the moved to tears, he Mystic Shrine. described how the The original Shriners Foundashrine, as the tion had helped pay for over $1 mil- name suggests, remains a mystery, but lion in medical treatment. Now recov- the group’s modern counterpart strives ered, he comes to the rodeo every year for three main pillars: character, camato share his story and garner support raderie and philanthropy — a mission
2021 ROUNDUP SOUVENIR PROGRAM
