SDSU Rodeo Shuns Tobacco Company

[twism]

SDSU Rodeo Students Shun Tobacco Sponsor Money

South Dakota State University's rodeo team gave the boot to its smokeless tobacco sponsor, and gave up scholarship money along with it.

U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company, which makes Copenhagen and Skoal, has awarded SDSU rodeo students an estimated $25,000 over the last 15 years.

But at a sale Wednesday morning at Stockman's Livestock Auction in Yankton, a fund-raising effort called Steers for State should more than make up for the loss of that money.
Thirteen donated steers will be sold and the proceeds will go toward scholarships.

Organizers say the Steers for State fund-raiser is drawing support from people wanting to help promote a healthier lifestyle and also those who want to see the rodeo program thrive.

[SDSUFAN]

Re: SDSU Rodeo Shuns Tobacco Company

Personally I think Levi's and Wrangler could also easily replace mouthless tobacco as a sponsor. I am glad the there are friends and alums of SDSU wanting to do the steer auction. Where is US Smokeless, when one of their previous scholarship winners is on is way to Mayo for a mouth cancer analysis? Something to thing about.
???

There is a more detailed story on this matter in the Argus today under digital stories here it is

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...MPLATE=DEFAULT
Aug 30, 11:22 AM EDT

SDSU rodeo students shun tobacco money

By CARSON WALKER
Associated Press Writer

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) -- South Dakota State University's rodeo team gave the boot to its smokeless tobacco sponsor - and gave up valuable scholarship money along with it.

But at a sale set for Wednesday morning at Stockman's Livestock Auction in Yankton, a fundraising effort called Steers for State should make up for the shortfall and then some.

"Over the years the image of a cowboy has always been accompanied by a Skoal can in the back pocket," said rodeo coach Terry McCutcheon.

"We felt that the image wasn't exactly right for South Dakota State University rodeo."

So the rodeo students discussed and then decided to end the Brookings college's contract with U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co., the maker of Copenhagen, Skoal and other such products.

The company is one of the main sponsors of college rodeo, guaranteeing scholarships to top winners and teams, McCutcheon said. Over the past 15 years, he estimates SDSU rodeo students received $25,000 - including a $1,500 check sitting on his desk that he plans to return.

The deal allowed U.S. Smokeless Tobacco to advertise its products at rodeos and pass out sample cans of snuff, McCutcheon said.

He said SDSU would have had to give up the tobacco money anyway because it's not allowed in NCAA Division I, the category in which the school now competes.

But the decision was made before that came to light because team members wanted to promote a healthier image, McCutcheon said.

Most of the rodeo competitors are now nursing majors.

"We see what happens to people who do use tobacco," said Tabitha Sigman, 23, a Sturgis native and a nursing senior.

"To associate rodeo with health is a good idea in the long run."

Hospitals and banks have pledged money to make up for the lost scholarship funds, she said.

"We've lost U.S. Tobacco but we also gained on the other end," said Sigman, the 2004 national collegiate goat tying champion, who stands to lose rodeo scholarship money.

Mike Bazinet, spokesman for U.S. Tobacco, said he didn't know about the specifics of the SDSU situation, but does know the company's scholarship program has helped many students over the last 25 years.

"What we found is that because we're able to help some student athletes alleviate some financial concerns, it helps them develop their rodeo skills. Some of them have been able to go on to professional rodeo careers," he said.

"We don't make any health claims with regard to our product."

But U.S. Tobacco does voluntarily adhere to tight marketing standards focused on keeping the products only in the hands of adults, Bazinet said.

"We're the only smokeless tobacco company to agree to marketing restrictions and we abide by those," he said. "We take those responsibilities very seriously but we do make a product for adults."

McCutcheon said the Steers for State fundraiser has been in the works for years as a way to better fund SDSU rodeo.

Ranchers Myron Williams and the late Dick Kjerstad, both of Wall, took in the donated steers and fed them until they went to the SDSU Foundation's Opportunities Farm near Lennox for finishing. SDSU booster Jim Woster of the Tri-State Neighbor, and Craig Russow, development director for SDSU's College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences, also helped make the fundraiser happen, McCutcheon said.

"They took the steer by the horns and really advanced it for us," he said.

The first auction on Wednesday will offer up 13 steers for sale and all will go for at least $1,000, Woster said. Proceeds will go toward rodeo scholarships.

Russow said that besides promoting a tobacco-free lifestyle, the Steers for State program is drawing support from people who want to see SDSU's rodeo program thrive.

"You've got people supporting it for both of those purposes."

©2005 The Associated Press.
All rights reserved. Terms under which this site is

[SDSUFAN]

Re: SDSU Rodeo Shuns Tobacco Company

Here is the Argus coverage of the Steer auction for the Rodeo Club:

http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs...509010334/1001


Auction raises $21,000 for rodeo
SDSU team rebounds after tobacco sponsor drop

RANDY HASCALL
rhascall@argusleader.com

Published: 09/1/05

YANKTON - When South Dakota State University's club rodeo team dropped its 30-year U.S. Smokeless Tobacco sponsorship in 2004, it was saddled with a financial void.

Tobacco companies are a huge contributor to the sport, and college teams rely on that money to help with expenses and scholarships. SDSU was no exception.

On Wednesday, SDSU's program got a boost when 12 donated steers and one heifer were sold in a fund-raiser at Stockmen's Livestock Auction in Yankton. The auction raised nearly $21,000 for the team, including more than $8,000 in premiums.

"We were really happy with the turnout today," SDSU coach Terry McCutcheon said. "It was very gratifying to see."

With key bidders that included the American Cancer Society, Sioux Valley Health Systems and Avera Health Systems, the auction appeared to send a loud message against tobacco and toward healthy living. In what's referred to as premium bidding, those three bidders paid a combined $5,500 for the first three steers, then donated them back for the public to buy.

Each animal garnered a premium payment, then was sold in general bidding for about $1,000.

"We are so impressed by the fact that SDSU dropped tobacco sponsorship. They wanted to be good role models," said Jennifer Stalley of the American Cancer Society. "The Cancer Society decided if they were going to do that, we want to help. We're happy to step in and sponsor them."

The South Dakota Tobacco-Free Kids Network also has become a team sponsor.

SDSU Rodeo Club members Joe Gunderson and Tabitha Sigman were pleased with the auction results. They said the decision to give up tobacco money was difficult but will be a good one in the long run.

"U.S. Tobacco has given tons and tons of money. It was a tough decision," said Sigman of Sturgis, a nursing student who doesn't use tobacco. "But, from here on out, I think this is going to grow."

Sigman, who will graduate in December, won last year's national goat-tying championship but had to turn down the $1,500 first prize because it came from a tobacco sponsor. Fortunately for her, private money raised for SDSU's team reimbursed the winnings.

Gunderson, a two-time All-American in bareback competition, said he originally opposed SDSU's anti-tobacco decision. U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co. is a national sponsor for the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association and donates more than $200,000 to college rodeo.

"My feelings were if you drop a sport's major sponsor like that, that's big shoes to fill. If you drop them, you could never go back," Gunderson said. "It was kind of iffy if other sponsors were going to fill the gap. But, in the last year, things have kind of turned around. It was a good decision. It looks like what we started will help us; it will be very beneficial."

The team has received good publicity and donations from people impressed by the decision, said Gunderson, a junior from Montgomery, Minn. He said he grew up competing in tobacco-sponsored rodeos but chose not to use tobacco.

SDSU was one of the first colleges in the nation to drop tobacco money. McCutcheon said the decision originated with students.

"If students didn't feel strong enough about it, we weren't going through with it," McCutcheon said. "There was a lot of outside pressure not to do this."

Ray Trankle, vice president of public affairs for Sioux Valley Health Systems, said it was an easy decision to contribute to the team, and he hopes other colleges follow SDSU's leadership.

"I think they made a very wise decision," Trankle said.

The auction is part of what's known as the Steers for State program started with the help of Wall ranchers Myron Williams and Dick Kjerstad, who has since died. At no charge, Williams fed donated calves and Kjerstad prepared them. Then, they were moved to the SDSU Foundation's Opportunities Farm near Lennox for finishing. Stockmen's Livestock donated its services, too.

"Almost all of the money is profit because of the generosity of the people involved," said Craig Russow, development director for the College of Ag and Bio Sciences.

Jim Woster of Sioux Falls, one of the auction organizers, said the event came about because of a realization that most of South Dakota's good rodeo athletes leave the state.

Most of the money will go directly to expenses and scholarships. A portion will buy calves to be fattened and sold next year.

"This gives us an opportunity to keep the kids here," McCutcheon said, adding that South Dakota is the second most recruited state in the sport, behind Texas.

[SDSUFAN]

Re: SDSU Rodeo Shuns Tobacco Company

Part 2 of the argus article

Auction raises $21,000 for rodeo
SDSU team rebounds after tobacco sponsor drop

RANDY HASCALL
rhascall@argusleader.com


National American University of Rapid City and Mitchell Technical Institute are other South Dakota schools with club rodeo teams. Their coaches couldn't be reached for comment.

Criticism of tobacco sponsorships has grown. In Utah, a former rodeo competitor called the state hypocritical for preaching tobacco dangers to children but allowing a smokeless tobacco company to have a presence at the state fair.

In New York, an online petition has been established to encourage the New York State Fair to stop accepting sponsorships from U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co.

And in Oakdale, Calif., last spring, county health officials and an anti-tobacco coalition urged the local rodeo to end its relationship with a smokeless tobacco company.

Reach Randy Hascall at 331-2320.





E-mail this article Print this article Subscribe to the Newspaper