Visit Mesa and PBR Join Forces for Autism Awareness

Sometimes a sporting event is more than a competition between athletes. Sometimes it can be used for the greater good and to bring awareness to an issue that affects many people.

This is the case for the Professional Bull Riders event this weekend in Queen Creek, Arizona. The PBR, Queen Creek and Visit Mesa are introducing the “Buckin’ Blue for Autism” initiative to raise awareness for Autism Acceptance Month, which is April.

The April 19–20 PBR event at the Horseshoe Park & Equestrian Centre will be more than top-tier bull riders dazzling the crowd as they collect points toward the world standings.

“We’re fusing together the rough, tough world of Western lifestyle and bull riding with autism acceptance month,” said Lance Fite, Visit Mesa’s managing director of sports. “The PBR raises awareness for something during every one of their events. They always have a purpose. So it was cool to be able to merge those two things together.”

This is a collaborative effort between many people, including Judd Mortensen, a PBR rider from 2000–2007 who is now the event organizer for Queen Creek. Julie Jutten, the general manager of the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund — which provides monetary support to injured rodeo competitors and their families — has stepped in to help market the Buckin’ Blue for Autism event.

“We are committed to raising awareness for autism within our community and we are thrilled to have Visit Mesa as our partner in this important initiative,” said Mortensen. “By dedicating the Queen Creek PBR to autism acceptance and lighting up our arena in blue, we hope to make a meaningful impact and show our support for individuals and families affected by-autism spectrum disorder.”

Fite says autism touches many lives throughout the rodeo and Western lifestyle world, and it’s important to bring the issue to the forefront.

“When we brought this idea to Judd, he said, ‘Oh my gosh, this is perfect; I have a ranch hand who’s on the spectrum and he is one of my hardest workers. He rides bulls. He’s been a cowboy his whole life,’” Fite said. “Our partners, the Cowboy Lifestyle Network, are close friends of mine. This event is huge for them, too. It just seemed to be a domino effect of everyone we talked to said ‘this needs to happen.’”

A Revolutionary Rodeo

The Buckin’ Blue for Autism event will feature unique aspects that likely haven’t been seen at a rodeo arena before.

The arena will be lit up blue during the competition — the color that signifies autism awareness. But this event is much more than special lighting. The venue will offer a quiet trailer for individuals who may be overstimulated by the excitement of the bull riding.

“When we were in the original planning of this, I said I didn’t want this to be some low-hanging, pandering thing that we slapped the word autism on,” Fite said. “It needs to have some functionality to it because people are bringing those on the spectrum.”

As autism awareness grows in the sports industry, quiet spaces have been a way to assist those on the spectrum to have a more enjoyable experience by taking a break when the action gets to be too much.

“If we’re doing this event in a big arena with a rowdy crowd with loud music and pyrotechnics, we need to have something on site for those who are on the spectrum or traveling with those on the spectrum,” Fite explained. “Somewhere to go a little further away, even if it’s for a minute, go into the trailer to decompress and settle down, then you can go back to the event.”

Buckin’ Blue for Autism will benefit the Mesa Regional Foundation for Accessibility, Diversity and Inclusion in multiple ways. Visit Mesa’s Spectrum IPA, a limited-edition brew available during April at select locations throughout the Mesa region, will be sold at the PBR event.

“Portions of all bar sales, not just our Spectrum IPA, will go to the Foundation,” Fite said. “And they’re also running a 50/50 raffle that will go to the Foundation. Mesa Regional Foundation will be the only vendor booth inside the arena that people can walk up to and learn more about the Foundation and then donate onsite.”

Continued Progress and Education

While Buckin’ Blue for Autism is the biggest event Visit Mesa has produced for autism awareness, this is not a new initiative for the city. Visit Mesa is the first autism certified city in America. The International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards offers certification programs to educators and licensed professionals who work or interact with autistic individuals.

“That whole process takes your city and stakeholders like hotels, restaurants, attractions, museums, and it puts their staff through virtual certifications to make sure that you and your staff are aware of how to better serve people on the spectrum, or those who travel people on the spectrum,” said Fite, who’s a certified autism travel professional.

The initiative to get Mesa certified started with Visit Mesa Chief Executive Officer Mark Garcia, whose youngest son is on the spectrum.

“He’s been in the travel industry and tourism industry his whole life,” Fite said of Garcia. “He wondered if other people have these hesitations to travel and go out and about if either they are on the spectrum or they’re traveling with someone on the spectrum.

“How would somebody on the spectrum feel if they could go into a city and know that everywhere they went, the city was prepared for it and had resources? Maybe light is a triggering mechanism, maybe sound is a triggering mechanism and they know how to handle it.”

Fite sits on the Arizona Disabled Sports Board and the Mesa Regional Foundation for Accessibility, Diversity, Inclusion Board. He says a big part of his job is to figure out how to inject what matters to the Mesa community into its sports events.

PBR ticket sales this year have eclipsed previous editions and a sellout show is expected. Mesa is inviting key stakeholders from other autism foundations to come and enjoy the event in hopes of providing a blueprint for others to use in the future.

“Let’s hope that we set a good example and a good bar that people could just take it and run with it,” Fite said. “You never know how many community members you have in the adaptive world, either neuro or physical, who want to play sports or are passionate about sports. And if we’re able to use our own little silos of professionalism as a catalyst, that’s what we try to do. This is a perfect example of it.”