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SDSU rodeo teams
up with American Cancer Society, South Dakota Tobacco-Free Kids
Network to share healthy vision
The American Cancer
Society, South Dakota Tobacco-Free Kids Network and South Dakota
State University Rodeo have joined forces to promote healthy
lifestyle choices. The new partnership kicks off April 8th at the
2005 Jackrabbit Stampede.
SDSU began looking for partners
that better represent its interests after ending its 30-year
relationship with U.S Tobacco immediately prior to the 2004
Jackrabbit Stampede. Rodeo club members and the administration cited
a desire to promote healthy choices among the student body and
supporters as the reason for severing their relationship U.S.
Tobacco.
"SDSU is working not only to support academic
achievement for its students, but also healthy lifestyles. Itิ๘ิ๘ิ๘s
really important that the rodeo club and SDSU as a whole take steps
to encourage healthy choices. Our partnership with the American
Cancer Society and South Dakota Tobacco-Free Kids is a great example
of the type of healthy choices we want to promote at SDSU,ิ๘ิ๘ิ๘
explained Emery Tschetter, Assistant Director for Planning and
Special Projects at South Dakota State University.
Tschetter
said the decision to promote positive choices, as well as the
decision to severe ties to U.S. Tobacco, was driven by the students
in the SDSU Rodeo program. ิ๘ิ๘ิ๘Their interest indicated not only that
it was something that needed to be done, but that it was something
the students wanted to do. If not for their support, I am not sure
this would have happened.ิ๘ิ๘ิ๘
Tschetter added that there is a
growing amount of pride in the decision and for the administrative
support that helped make it possible.
This pride is evident
when talking to Tabitha Sigman, a member of the SDSU Rodeo team and
senior nursing student from Sturgis. ิ๘ิ๘ิ๘It was a difficult decision
based on what we had to lose, U.S. Tobacco was our primary sponsor .
. . scholarships and other things,ิ๘ิ๘ิ๘ she said. ิ๘ิ๘ิ๘But sometimes you
need to make decisions based on principles instead of finances.
Fortunately, it worked out for everyone. Everyone except U.S.
Tobacco that is.ิ๘ิ๘ิ๘
Sigman said team members are very excited
about their new role promoting public health. ิ๘ิ๘ิ๘This is a partnership
more suited to the lifestyles of SDSU students and those
participating in SDSU Rodeo,ิ๘ิ๘ิ๘ she explained. ิ๘ิ๘ิ๘Since this is our
state sport, this is an exciting opportunity for us to collaborate
and promote rodeo and healthy lifestyle choices that make winners
out of everyone,ิ๘ิ๘ิ๘ she said.
ิ๘ิ๘ิ๘This is a natural fit,ิ๘ิ๘ิ๘
explained Dr. Allan Nord, a Rapid City family physician and chair of
the South Dakota Tobacco-Free Kids Network. ิ๘ิ๘ิ๘We will be reaching an
audience that is difficult to get through to due to geographics and
other factors. Itิ๘ิ๘ิ๘s also an audience that has come to associate
smokeless tobacco with rodeo. Itิ๘ิ๘ิ๘s time to put an end to this
stereotype and to stress the dangers of smokeless tobacco use. This
partnership with SDSU Rodeo gives us that outlet,ิ๘ิ๘ิ๘ Nord
said.
Jennifer
Stalley, South Dakotaิ๘ิ๘ิ๘s Government Relations Director for the
American Cancer Society, echoed Dr. Nord, stating the arrangement
provides the American Cancer Society with an opportunity to interact
with a population that is traditionally more difficult to reach.
ิ๘ิ๘ิ๘Itิ๘ิ๘ิ๘s also an opportunity to show support for the Rodeo Club, which
took the initiative to be a leader in student health, not just
rodeo,ิ๘ิ๘ิ๘ she said, adding that the American Cancer Society is
extremely proud to be a sponsor of the state sport.
Stalley
said she is certain people were watching closely to see how things
turned out in Brookings after the administration made the decision
to end its relationship with U.S. Tobacco. She is confident that
others are more comfortable in their ability to move forward without
tobacco money after seeing how things have developed
here.
Stalley noted that NASCAR driver Casey Mearsิ๘ิ๘ิ๘ car 41
was recently sponsored by Nicorette. ิ๘ิ๘ิ๘This is just another analogy
to how tobacco stereotypes are changing and how new sponsors, ones
that may better represent the interests of those being sponsored,
are emerging when old ones are removed.ิ๘ิ๘ิ๘
The American Cancer
Society, South Dakota Tobacco-Free Kids Network, and SDSU are
excited to be at the forefront of this change. All three hope their
partnership is as effective at promoting public health as tobacco
sponsorships have been at promoting tobacco use.
Smokeless
tobacco use by South Dakota youth is twice the national average.
According to the 2003 South Dakota Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 23%
of high school males in South Dakota use smokeless tobacco. The
figure is even higher among Native American high school students in
the state (39%). The national average is 11.5%. A number of factors
have attributed to this, among them marketing and corporate
sponsorship of events that appeal to youth, such as rodeo.
The American Cancer Society and South Dakota Tobacco-Free
Kids Network will host a booth at the Swiftel Center during the 2005
Jackrabbit Stampede. The Stampede runs April 8th through April
10th.
The South Dakota Tobacco-Free Kids Network is funded
by contributions and in-kind services from its 45 member
organizations. The South Dakota Tobacco-Free Kids Network does not
receive any funding from the state or from South Dakotaิ๘ิ๘ิ๘s share of
the 1998 Multi-State Tobacco Settlement agreement. For more
information about the Network, please visit our website at
www.sdtobaccofree.org.
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