A young Scone beauty has committed herself to raising $10,000 for a charity she values highly and she needs the community’s help.
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Lauren Parkinson has joined a stream of 11 young women around the country in the contest to win the 2015 Australian Rodeo Queen Quest.
Being born into a strong horse family and with her own love of riding and barrel racing, as well as being a model and driven to help others with her charity work, young Lauren is already ticking many of the boxes.
The Wingen based teenager has chosen the Upper Hunter Riding for Disabled Association (RDA) as her major charity to support and recently the 17-year-old visited the base near Muswellbrook to meet some of the children and explain her cause.
Throughout the next 12 months until the winner is announced in September 2015, Lauren will be holding various fundraising events and initiatives in a bid to raise the required $10,000 for the association, as well as funds for the quest’s organising body – the National Rodeo Council of Australia.
The Australian Rodeo Queen Quest is a non-profit organisation that was instigated in 1992 when Lauren’s aunt, Sue-Ellen Parkinson, also took part.
It requires young women to have knowledge of the rodeo circuit and history of rodeo, promote women in rodeo and knowledge of the animal welfare issues affecting rodeos.
Lauren said since she has grown up around horses, always loved rodeos and likes being able to do things for others, she decided to throw her hat in the ring.
Being a local organisation that benefits a lot of people, the RDA stood out as a great charity to help, as Lauren said she wanted to do something to give back to people in her local community.
“I like the fact that the funds will be going to something I’m passionate about and the fact that I can use my own riding skills and knowledge with horses to help them,” Lauren said.
“The children just melt your heart and it’s nice to know the people I’m working with.”
The winner of the quest earns the opportunity to travel to Canada for the Calgary Stampede and then travel down through the USA competing at rodeos before finishing up at Texas for the Cheyenne Frontier Days – one of the oldest rodeos in history.
“It would be awesome to win as I would get to represent Australia and the rodeo council with a bit of style and class,” Lauren said.
Lauren is in the process of organising a raffle and welcomes any donations.
She will also be hosting a Charity Bikini Barrel Race at White Park in Scone on Saturday, November 22 from 12.30pm which any riders are welcome to take part in.
Entry is $20 per horse with jackpot prize money and the horses and riders will be calcuttered off for the cause.
A charity art auction and exhibition will be held at the Wingen School of Arts Hall during the school holidays where anyone can enter their work to showcase.
To make a donation, contact Lauren via Facebook – ‘Lauren Parkinson’, email Lauren.p958@hotmail.com or contact 6545 0363.
