About TETWP
Tough Enough To Wear Pink provides a nationally-recognized campaign and framework for rodeos and western events to help them promote breast cancer awareness and fundraising to benefit their local communities.
Meet Our Founder
Terry Wheatley
Tough Enough to Wear Pink was created by Purple Cowboy founder, entrepreneneur and breast cancer survivor Terry Wheatley in 2004 with Karl Stressman, former director of special events at Wrangler and commissioner of the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA). Wheatley's goal is to bring the sport of professional rodeo and the western community together to rally against breast cancer. 100% of the profits from the sales of Purple Cowboy wines are donated to Tough Enough to Wear Pink.
Since it's inception in 2004, TETWP has empowered rodeos and western events in the U.S. and Canada to focus attention on the need for a cure. To date, the campaign has raised over $41 million dollars for breast cancer charities. much of which stays right in the community. The grassroots movement has inspired other sports communities to mount their own TETWP campaigns, spreading a message of hope and support that reaches beyond the rodeo arena to competitors, families and fans across America.
Rodeo World To The Rescue
Finding pink cowboy shirts proved to be the next challenge. Enter Karl Stressman and Wrangler who just happened to have pink shirts in production for the spring, 2005 line. Problem was they weren't scheduled to be delivered until the new year. With a few strategically placed phone calls, Karl arranged a special rush production of 200 shirts to be air-freighted directly to Las Vegas just in time for the rodeo.
Terry needed to get the challenge out to the cowboys - and fast. The Professional Rodeo Cowboy's Association (PRCA) jumped in to help, disseminating information about the pink shirt campaign to the finalists. Son Wade his part too, spreading the word to his fellow cowboys and cowgirls.
"I gladly accept the challenge in support of my mom, but I sure couldn't predict what the others would do. After all, it was a pink shirt" explained Wade.
And he might very well have been the only cowboy wearing one that night. Wade wasn't sure - nobody was - if the world's toughest cowboys would rally to the cause. Would they be Tough Enough to Wear Pink?
That question was answered once and for all as the competitors and spectators turned the Thomas & Mack Arena into a sea of pink that night. To the thrill of Terry, Karl and everybody who helped make it happen, once after another pink-shirted cowboys and cowgirls galloped into the arena sporting the color of breast cancer awareness. The campaign received plenty of media attention, spreading the word even further.
