Title: "Fourth Annual Cowboys, Cops and Kids Rodeo Celebrates Community and Special Needs Children in Broken Arrow"

BROKEN ARROW, Okla. — The Broken Arrow Police Department gathered with the community for their fourth annual Cowboys, Cops and Kids Exceptional Rodeo event for children with special needs. "We bring out law enforcement officers from all over northeast Oklahoma, come out and we partner those law enforcement officers with children with special needs to go through a series of kid-friendly rodeo events," said Public Affairs Officer for BAPD Mike Peale. The department partnered with the Broken Arrow Round Up Club to hold the event. "We had a mechanical bull. We had horseback riding, pony riding, a petting zoo, dummy roping, stick horse barrel race and we even had finger painting this year where we used a horse as a canvas and they got to finger paint the horse." Peale said one of the best things about the event was the opportunity to have fun and foster connections among different members of the community. "It’s very gratifying. It’s very fulfilling. I spent a lot of time because I’m drawing in different parts of the community that normally don’t interact that much. You got the rodeo folks, the Round Up Club folks, the cowboys, all the cops, all the children with special needs and all of our volunteers and then trying to make that all come together at the same time for the same purpose, but once it does, it’s magical. These kids really enjoy it and I know the volunteers and the law enforcement officers enjoy it as well." Peale said they’re planning to hold the event again next year and encourages anyone who wants to participate to keep an eye on BAPD’s social media to see when they set the date for the event.