News and Events
The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County Continues its Partnership with Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo
March 11, 2021
The Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo, celebrating it's 93rd year, is the largest and longest running rodeo in the southeast. This four-day rodeo includes events such as bull riding, bareback bronc riding, saddle bronc riding, and team roping. It brings nearly 20,000 spectators from all over the state of Florida and the finest Pro Rodeo athletes from across the U.S. This was the third year rodeo fans were able to attend the event in the Smoke-Free Mosaic Arena. In 2018, as soon as construction was complete, with the help of the Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County, the Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo Association adopted a smoke-free policy inside the arena! The policy includes all lighted tobacco products, including electronic nicotine delivery systems. In order to make visitors aware of the policy, we provided signage, free of cost to the Rodeo Association. |
 |
To further our partnership, and help educate attendees, the Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County choose to become a 2021 Gate Sponsor. In addition to signage inside the arena, our members were able to set up an educational booth during all four days of the March Rodeo, which was perfectly placed near the front entrance. This gave members the opportunity to welcome and greet rodeo fans and participants as they entered the arena utilizing hands on activities and face-to-face discussions.
Representatives from the TFP and SWAT Youth Ambassadors were present and had the opportunity to network, interact, and educate with attendees one-on-one within the arena. Furthermore, time was allotted for live broadcast commercials in the arena during the rodeo in which the event emcee announced TFP DeSoto as a Gate Sponsor throughout rodeo performances. The TFP logo also appeared on a large banner on the West Gate, a prominent area inside the arena.
This event gave the Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County and SWAT Youth the opportunity to reach a very large crowd where tobacco use, especially smokeless, is a social norm. It provided members the chance to better educate attendees on the initiatives and goals of the TFP, as well as share Quit Your Way information.
“It was a wonderful opportunity to engage and educate community organizations, local businesses, elected officials and community members on the goals and objectives of the Department of Health and Bureau of Tobacco Free Florida.” Says Jodie Deloach, Tobacco Prevention Specialist. “It serves as a great platform to educate and empower our community members to learn more and become involved in tobacco initiatives in DeSoto County to help prevent another generation of tobacco addiction.”
If you would like to get involved in our mission, please contact Jodie DeLoach at jdeloach@quitdoc.com.
