{"id":202269,"date":"2026-03-13T01:41:13","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T01:41:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/202269\/"},"modified":"2026-03-13T01:41:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T01:41:13","slug":"meet-the-volunteer-who-found-hope-and-a-home-at-rodeohouston","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/202269\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the volunteer who found hope \u2014 and a home \u2014 at RodeoHouston"},"content":{"rendered":"

HOUSTON \u2013 RODEOHOUSTON<\/a> may be known for its concerts, carnival rides and competition in the dirt, but on Volunteer Day the spotlight turns to the people who make the entire event run.<\/p>\n

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo started with just seven volunteers back in 1932. <\/p>\n

Today, organizers say more than 36,000 volunteers keep the rodeo moving \u2014 not just during the three-week run at NRG Park, but year-round.<\/p>\n

For Ashley Coffie, one of those volunteers, the rodeo isn\u2019t just an annual tradition. It\u2019s personal.<\/p>\n

SEE ALSO: Bring the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo home with these sips and bites<\/a><\/p>\n

Walking through the halls of NRG Center, Coffie describes the feeling of stepping into one of the biggest rodeo events in the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou walk in here and it\u2019s just like, kind of like the Super Bowl of rodeo,\u201d Coffie said. \u201cI just remember how powerful it was being in the room and seeing how much money they were raising and just thinking how many children are going to be affected in giving back.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also a place that feels like home \u2014 because it helped shape her life.<\/p>\n

Coffie says she spent much of her childhood in and out of foster care until she was 12 years old. <\/p>\n

Later, she got involved in the FFA and found her way to the rodeo through the Calf Scramble, where she won the Hard Luck Award. She returned to the showgrounds to compete again, this time bringing a heifer named Heidi she had worked hard to raise.<\/p>\n

She credits those experiences \u2014 along with being adopted \u2014 with helping her build confidence and finally feel grounded.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I want to do is I want to make a difference in a child\u2019s life,\u201d Coffie said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s what the rodeo did for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coffie says the rodeo gave her more than a ribbon or recognition. It gave her something she needed at the time: direction.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what the rodeo gave to me was this hope, leadership and determination and grit,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s what it kind of takes in this world to make it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now married and raising two children, while running her own small business, Coffie is back at the rodeo in a different role \u2014 this time as a volunteer on the Wine Events Committee, one of thousands who take shifts to support the livestock show, events, scholarships and day-to-day operations.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like the size of a city, right? Bigger than a lot of cities \u2014 36,000 volunteers,\u201d said Mel Underhill, the rodeo\u2019s chief volunteer and human resources officer. \u201cAnd when you think about it, it literally takes that many people to make the rodeo run all year.\u201d<\/p>\n

HLSR NEWS: RodeoHouston revokes Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo\u2019s leadership position after public feud over seating, security<\/a><\/p>\n

Underhill helps organize and manage the massive volunteer force, much bigger than the rodeo\u2019s 150 full-time staffers. And she said for many, volunteering is both service and celebration.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a great way to come out for the day, you know, in beautiful weather and enjoy a good time,\u201d Underhill said.<\/p>\n

But she also puts it plainly: without volunteers, the rodeo doesn\u2019t happen.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wouldn\u2019t be possible,\u201d Underhill said.<\/p>\n

Coffie knows firsthand how much the rodeo\u2019s programs can change a kid\u2019s path. She was once a scholarship recipient herself. Now, she\u2019s volunteering with the hope that what she\u2019s giving back might be the turning point for someone else.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt really takes a village,\u201d Coffie said. \u201cAnd I would honestly consider Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo part of my village.\u201d<\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"HOUSTON \u2013 RODEOHOUSTON may be known for its concerts, carnival rides and competition in the dirt, but on…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":202270,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[72730,56,58,28002,57,18638,8362,6795,19168],"class_list":{"0":"post-202269","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-houston","8":"tag-hlsr","9":"tag-houston","10":"tag-houston-headlines","11":"tag-houston-livestock-show-and-rodeo","12":"tag-houston-news","13":"tag-nrg-park","14":"tag-nrg-stadium","15":"tag-rodeo","16":"tag-rodeohouston"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202269","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=202269"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202269\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/202270"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=202269"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=202269"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=202269"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}