The Story Behind Our Name: How a Rodeo Sparked a Movement

If you’ve ever sat in the grandstands at the Wasatch County Outdoor Arena, you know the feeling. The sun dips behind the mountains, the stadium lights kick on, and the collective energy of our community fills the night air. It’s a place of tradition, laughter, and high-octane excitement.

But back in 2013, during the Mountain Valley Stampede Rodeo, one single night changed everything for us.

With Fair Days right around the corner (July 30–August 1), we find ourselves looking back at where we started. Because before we were a foundation, before we had a board, and before we had our signature name, we were just people sitting in those exact same rodeo stands, moved by a pink guitar.

Mona and The Pink Guitar

It started with Bob McPhie riding into the rodeo arena holding a guitar. And not just any guitar—a bright pink one.

Like many people in the crowd, our founder, Mona, figured Bob was just getting ready to sing a song later in the evening. But as the rodeo went on, the announcer dropped a surprise: that pink guitar wasn’t for a performance. It was being auctioned off right then and there to raise money for local families fighting cancer. The goal was simple: keep the money right here in our valley to help neighbors stay on top of the everyday expenses that pile up during treatment.

As the bidding climbed higher and higher, Mona sat back to watch. That’s when her husband gave her a nudge.

"Aren't you going to bid?" he asked. "I don't have a thousand dollars!" she whispered back.

He just looked at her and smiled. "In memory of my mom," he said. His mother had passed away from bone cancer just one week prior.

With that, Mona’s hand flew into the air. Before she fully processed what was happening, she had won the auction. (The funny part? She didn't even know how to play the guitar!)

That night, the funds raised from that pink guitar were split between three local families. The feeling of knowing a small, spontaneous action could immediately ease a neighbor’s heavy burden was unforgettable.

From a Pink Ribbon to a Horse of Many Colors

A few months later, Mona was asked if she would be willing to take over organizing that special "Tough Enough to Wear Pink" night at the rodeo. She immediately said yes—but she also knew she wanted to dream bigger.

Traditionally, wearing pink spotlights breast cancer awareness. But Mona thought about her mother-in-law's battle with bone cancer, and the countless other families fighting lung, brain, pediatric, or blood cancers. Cancer comes in many forms, and every single person fighting it deserves a community in their corner.

She wanted a charity that wouldn't exclude anyone based on their diagnosis. If you were a neighbor fighting cancer, you belonged under our wing.

And so, The Horse of Many Colors was born.

Just like a coat woven from every shade imaginable, our name represents our mission to provide support, love, and awareness to patients facing all types of cancer. We wanted to take the energy of that one rodeo night and turn it into a year-round movement of hope.

Why We Still Show Up

When you see us at the Fair Days Rodeo from July 30 to August 1, you aren't just looking at a charity booth. You are looking at the continuation of a promise made in 2013.

Every t-shirt bought, every donation made, and every hand raised in support directly echoes that first pink guitar auction. We do this because we know firsthand that while cancer is a heavy, dark road, a community united can color the path back to hope.

So when you throw on your boots and head out to the arena this year, take a look around the stands. You're surrounded by the big hearts that make this movement possible. See you at the rodeo!