Riding Herd Over Cheyenne Frontier Days

Howdy, folks! Meet John Contos, the General Chairman of Cheyenne Frontier Days—a job he wrangles voluntarily all year long, which is downright impressive. Grab a seat and listen up as John spills the beans on what “The Daddy of ‘em All” means to Wyoming and the nation!

Transcript

This transcript was generated automatically using speech-to-text technology. The accuracy may vary in spots.

This episode first aired on June 25, 2024

This transcript was generated using 

Authentic Wyoming
John Contos

Hi, I'm Myra and I'm Tressa. We are fancy marketing people with Union, Wyoming based telecommunications company. Yes, Wyoming really does exist. We proudly serve the Rocky Mountain region. On this podcast, we will feature businesses, organizations, nonprofits, and influential peoplefrom Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming. Our mission is to highlight those who inspire their communities daily.
 
 We believe this makes us truly authentic because a journey of a thousand miles always begins with a single step.
 
 Three. Two. One. Baby clap, baby clap. Good morning. Good morning. Myra. Yeah I like your. You're so those in listener land before we start our episodes. Tressa gets to be the human like Clapper. how what is what is that called? What is that called? is that actually you? What is it? Tell is Keith the late. Yeah our slating okay. Slating yeah. Yeah. So Tesla gets to be the human one and I do baby claps. Yeah. One. I like to eat eat eat eat. Do they still like those. Like the black and white. We should get one. Yeah right. No. Gotta keep you. Gotta keep the AP.
 
 Yeah. So it is entertaining. Yeah it is I like it. It's first conversation. We're easily entertained. Thank you. Yeah. So I might only be entertaining this. I'm not sure, but that's okay. That's all right. Yeah. So, Yeah. I was just thinking this time last year is when we started the podcast, and, Yeah, it was a lot more snow yeah. This time last year, was, like, around Easter.
 
 Yeah. And I was talking about the Easter egg hunt. Oh, that's right in the snow. Yeah. And it was like, you know, Armageddon, but the snow version for children and Easter eggs. Yeah, that is Easter .When it's next weekend. Yeah, yeah, it's coming up fast, but, Yeah, but this time of year is also, March Madness.
 
 Yes, I'm a fan. I know, I know, I don't know much what's going on with basketball, but yeah, I like basketball. Yeah, that's where my loyalties lie, you know? So I assume that your team, North Carolina, is in. They are in the tournament. Yeah. Yep. So do they have like a position in the tournament? They do I know there's a bracket.
 
 They are positioned. Yeah. Tournament. So where's that. They are the number one seed in the West. Oh yeah. Dangerous. Yep. Oh we're protecting the number one seed I'm like I'm. And that's where I stop. Yeah. Yeah. So do you predict they'll win it all. every year I do. Yeah. Yeah. I can't even honestly like you really think so?
 
 I hope so, yeah. There is a theory out there. Yeah, I'm. I'm terrible with this. I move a lot. there's a theory out there, that when we don't win the ACC tournament, we win the national championship. It's happened actually, a couple times, and we just lost the SEC tournament. Oh, I could watch that. Yeah. And, I shout out to state I'm happy for them because they have they hadn't won a SEC championship since like 1986 or something like that.
 
 So North Carolina State beat the Tar Heels. Yeah. Correct. Again okay. Yep, yep. We're good for naming. Yeah yeah. Real good with naming. There's North Carolina State then there's the university North Carolina I know it's hard to keep track of them. Yeah there's I think 12 state schools. Yeah I might have messed that up. But there's a lot there's a lot.
 
 Yeah. So do you do a bracket. Do you fill in out. No, no not really. I just I mean, my victories always. I just always put the tarheels. Yeah. Win at all. It's just what I do. So. So who are the other, top seeds in the other. Oh, gosh. So we've got North Carolina and the Minnesota. Awesome.
 
 I think Purdue is one of them, and I hope I hope I'm not wrong. and then I think Houston. Houston. Oh, Houston. Yeah. Thanks, Keith, for your help. And then, the one the UConn. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah. I don't like that. You don't like them there, coach? I'm not a fan. Oh, I you got some feelings about.
 
 You have feelings about this? he stresses me out really bad. I don't know, there's just some coaches out there. Yeah, and I love sports very much, but I'm very much also a person who is observant and, typically, I pay attention to all the marketing that happens, in branding during the time. Right? whether it's basketball, football, professional, collegiate, you name it.
 
 Because that's just my brain. Yeah. I'm branding and marketing at heart. That's just who I am. And so I notice lots of things that are very irrelevant to the sport, like how a coach reacts or how. But the players do what shoes the players are wearing. what the people on the bench are doing. but it also helps me with like, especially during Carolina games because I have a lot of anxiety.
 
 And, as I've gotten older, I kind of don't watch the games. I just walk out of the room. Gives you too much strength, it gives me too much stress, and I wish I could put that much energy into something else because I could probably move a mountain, with how much stress I have by watching the Tar Heels.
 
 Well, I hope one day you can relax and enjoy it, regardless of the outcome. That's the whole point. It's difficult. Yeah, it's. You'll get there. Yeah. I'm really. That's something I'm looking forward to is I really want to take, like, getting the kids to a game because there's nothing in this world I believe that I'm a I'm environment.
 I'm. You've got it. I want to invite. Yeah. Seriously, there's just to do that. I love, I love Laramie, and I've really come to love the Cowboys. And I've had the privilege of going to many games and, it's an definitely an experience to do that. It is a whole nother world when it's that kind of environment and when the whole stadium is packed to the brim and the energy, the synergy.
 
 Yeah, I'm sure you know, you can feel it. You can feel it. It's crazy. Yeah. So, I've been to a lot of Duke Carolina games, and, those are very hard to watch in person because you can't hard. Yeah. You can't, like, go hide your face or you can't, you know, like, go run away and go get a snack in private.
 
 Because the way my kitchen set up, I have, like, a window above my sink, but, you can actually look through another window into the penthouse and see the TV. So I'll go in the kitchen and watch through a window. Through another window? What's your piece of cheese? Yeah, I'm just hiding. I'm like, yeah, but my whole family is like this, too.
 
 Yeah, when it comes to the Tar Heels. So I get it, I get it. We're very much it's a, it's Tar Heel born, Tar Heel bred, Tar Heel dead. So we're born bred did we? Are those people? Yeah. Well, you heard it here. I get to join you at one of those games eventually. Yeah, it's a party. Okay.
 
 Deal. Yeah. We're. Yeah, it's way cooler than what happens at Duke, so. Well, yeah. Yeah, they're just irrelevant. Yeah. If Duke loses, we all win. That's. I agree with that. I'm not a big fan myself. I'm. Yeah. Well, Cool. So our guest today, is John Contos. He is the general chairman and chief operating officer of Cheyenne Frontier Days.
 
Good morning ladies. How are you? Good. How are you doing? We're I'm doing great. Thank you. Do you have a team for during the tournament or do you care? You know, I, I don't follow, college basketball real close. I know my wife is is, was is into Caitlyn Clark and the, Oh, cool.
 
 Yeah. In Iowa. Yeah. you know, she's, I'll tell you what, the the athletic levels of these teams anymore are just mind blowing. Unbelievable athleticism. so yeah, they're, you know, what do we do. Watch. They are fun to watch. Yeah. Yeah. Caitlin Clark I mean she's just amazing. I'm not that in basketball either but I've watched you know she is.
 
 Yeah. Yeah. You know who she is. Yeah. That's cool. You brought her up because, like, I think she's just doing a lot for the women's basketball and, women in sports in general. And, bringing a lot of attention to that, you know, sport. And, I, I'm curious to see the views of the tournament for, the women's.
 
 Yeah. League this year. Yeah. The interesting. Yeah. So so I agree. Yeah. Well, off of basketball and back to Cheyenne Frontier Days. do you want to tell us a little bit about what you do for Challenge Frontier Days? How long you been doing it? Just give us a little background. Sure. so, obviously volunteer. this.
 
 I'm going into my 42nd year with Cheyenne Frontier Days. I started in 1983 as a parade volunteer. served three years on the brake committee, moved to the Public Relations Committee as a volunteer. kind of went up through the ranks of that committee, eventually became public relations chairman in, 2005, six and seven. I spent six years on the board of directors with Giant Frontier Days was, the chairman in 2018. And, then I was asked to do this. So, I guess the rest is history. the general chairman position is, is a, huge position as as I said, chief chief operating officer. So, anything that has to do with operations is, is is meat. whether it's asphalt, gravel, arena buildings, you name it, operations, it it's me.
 
 So our structure is, the way we're set up is I oversee our nine committee chairmen. We have nine individual committees on the park, and nine individual chairmen that oversee those committees. And I oversee, that that whole process. so it's, it's humbling. it's a pleasure to do that. To do, but it's, it's busy, very busy, as you can imagine.
 
 you talked a lot about, volunteering. And this is something that when I took the position here at Union and I was introduced to, because I'm from out of state. So when I took the role here at Union, I wasn't really familiar with frontier Days at the time.
 
 but the number one thing that I was told, was about the volunteers and that the volunteers, are more than the word volunteer doesn't even hold a candle to what that group of people really do for the organization. And I was told to treat them with the most, respect out of anybody that I come in contact with.
 
 just because when you really dive into what volunteers really like, what they do and the level, I mean, really they're kind of to me, I think they're held to one of the highest pedestals. could you talk about, like, what it really means to be a volunteer and what that looks like? Well, I, and I would agree with you, we do hold our volunteers at the highest pedestal, you know, volunteering and shy and, and we have 3000 volunteers, give or take.
 
 I mean, they are the heart and soul of this organization. They are. They put this this thing on. We have 20 paid staff, and I always have to give credit to our staff, you know, 20 people, along with our volunteers, put this production on year in and year out for 128 years. So it really is a remarkable thing  you know, there's there's nothing our volunteers won't do to make this thing, happen. You're out to make it successful. even even short notice. Drop of the hat. you know, as you can imagine, the size of production. This is, and, you know, within our nine committees, obviously they serve, on our nine committees.
 
 But, you know, we have a committee that 600 people, they have a committee that has 60 people. but not not one of those is any more important than anybody else. everybody has a job to do. Everybody have as a task or tasks to accomplish. And year in and year out it happens. so again, I, you know, I, I'm with you.
 
 I can't say enough and I can't give enough praise to our volunteers. they they are the heart and soul of this organization. And they make it happen year in and year out. It's remarkable. Yeah. That is remarkable. Yeah. so you said that you've been with the organization for over 40 years. most volunteers that I know have been volunteers for like 20 to 30 years.
 
 And that's something that I think people don't understand either. You know, this is, there is so much love poured into, this rodeo, this event, that makes these people fly in from all over the country, even if they've lived here at one point in the state and they've moved out of the state, they still take time and come back for two weeks straight, to dedicate their time.
 
 And they've been doing it for 20 to 30 years. that is just something that blew me away when I first, took on this role and started understanding the event. And really, what goes into it. Yeah, yeah. It's crazy. They'll take their personal vacation time and come and volunteer. I've met many, many volunteers like that at CFD.
 
 It it blew me away to to know that. And, you know, as, as, as we continue to evolve, I mean, you know, you're exactly right. Everything you, you've said is, is 100% true. what what makes these people take 2 or 3 weeks off of work? whether it's local weather, whether they, they, they live on wheels, you know, I'll tell you that the technology world has helped us out a lot with zoom and and teams and all.
 
 Now, these people can be part of the monthly, you know, individual committee meetings and or whatever, but, you know, when we as, as, as I travel and visit, visit other rodeos and, and meet with their leadership and so on and so forth. you know, that that is always the question. How do you get these people to volunteer all their time and their efforts, and then you're out and and not take a dime for it, to, to to make this happen.
 
 And, it's the million dollar question. I don't think there's a right answer, to that, but I will say, we, we had a long time community leader servant, by the name of Bill Dubois that was active and have involved with Frontier Days for years and years and years. And and I think Bill said it best.
 
 It's a very short statement. But he said volunteering in Cheyenne is a Cheyenne thing to do, and that's the best answer we have. That's wonderful. You know that. So you were saying Cheyenne Frontier Days has been around for 128 years. Did I hear that correctly? That's correct. Wow. This is our one. This is our 128. And, as you talk about women's athletics and women's sports and so on, this year, the 1/28 is dedicated to the year of the cow for all of them.
 
 And so yeah, that, that, that all plays plays in and and plays together. And again, it's highlighting, you know, the, the women's contributions to Cheyenne Frontier Days to the sport of rodeo. I mean, you watch these, these women, rodeo athletes, they are absolutely phenomenal. I mean, they're they're skillful and their dedication is, is completely unsurpassed, you know, again, they, so we, we, we saw fit this year to, dedicate the 1/28 to the year of the cowgirl. And, we're actually going to put up a statue, out at Frontier Park, dedicate, statue of a cowgirl, dedicating, it to the year. The cowgirl. Oh, that's so cool. Collect pins for me.
 
 Yes, I'll. I'll try to. Please. Yeah. you know, I, I literally, I literally have some sitting right over here. but, whatever you need, just let me know. Yeah. Mail me some. Because that's something to. Yeah. I've kept. Yeah. For the few years. Three years now. Yeah. Yeah. So this would have been my fourth year.
 
 I'm hoping to come back in a visiting, place, but I literally have all my pins from every year. And that's something, too, that I think is really cool about being a sponsor. And, you walk around the park and all the volunteers, they, they're they have all the new pins. Some of the, dignitaries, county commissioners, they have their little pins and, the different forms of awareness, different organizations bring their pins like the, the pins are the coolest thing.
 
 And I'm talking about for those who are like, what do you mean by pins like the, the kind that you stick into your clothes? Yeah, like a pendant, I don't know. And so, yeah, your lanyards are all decked out with all your pins. And so I've kept all mine and I keep the same lanyard and just keep adding my pins.
 
 Yeah. To my. You. Yeah. So as you can it's as you can imagine I've kept my do. Oh, I'm sure you have so many. Yeah, I've got a gob of them. but again you know, so, you know, just a little bit back to the involvement of, of frontier days, you know, I, as I started, you know, I was born and raised here.
 
 My, my family, my family lived here. My father was, was, became very involved in frontier days. And, you know, I, I used to ask him back, you know, back in the day, I'd say, you know, pop, you know, I mean, why do you do this? And he said, well, he said, you either get involved or you get out of camp.
 
 He says, I like to go on vacation because he said, Cheyenne, he's the city of Cheyenne is frontier days from start to finish during those ten days. So that's how I, you know, so that's how I, began to get involved, and so on and so forth. You know, again, one thing that I can say, about our volunteers and about our leadership is, you know, every one of us has to be out there for one reason.
 
 And that reason is solely to make this thing happen year in and year out. No matter what we have to do. again, I tell our committee, I tell, you know, I tell our volunteers in different volunteer meetings, there's one reason to be here. it's not it's not for us. It's to put this thing on year in and year out.
 
 Yeah, absolutely. do you want to talk a little bit about the significance of CFD to the community, not only Cheyenne, but the entire region, like what you're bringing into the state of Wyoming? yeah. How about if I talk about the significance of CFD nationwide?
 
 Yeah, please. You know, it's a it is amazing. so back to the pins.
 
 You know, you get on an airplane and, actually, we just got back from Houston, not not long ago, and, boarded the airplane and usually we, you know, we'll give, give the, the flight attendants and so on, you know, a pad or whatever. but there's never been a time when we're in the, in an airport, a group of people were somebody.
 
 I mean, random somebody doesn't come up and say, you're Cheyenne Frontier Days, right? And we said, yeah, we are. you wouldn't happen to have one of those one of those pins, which, I mean, just completely random. Yeah, we do, you know, and so, you know, we give out a lot of those and and it is, it is a memento, and it is a keepsake.
 
 So let's talk a little bit about the economic piece of Shane for today's, so we do an impact every, every three years. Our last economic impact was I think, I believe a couple of years ago, $40 million, $40 million to the Cheyenne, Laramie County and state of Wyoming, economy. that's nothing to sneeze at.
 
 And we and we realized that really realized that the year of Covid, when that didn't happen. you know, we, our local, our, our local business people, you know, our tourism, all that is, you know, such it's such a part of this. And the cool part about that economic impact is the reason Frontier Day started 128 years ago was for the economic impact to shop and Laramie County and the state of Wyoming.
 
 And it's the same day that has never changed. so is it important to make sure this thing happens year in and year out? Absolutely. And to grasp it, so it, that that I really think that's a cool piece that, that has, that has stayed and maintained for 128 years. So, it is it is a big deal.
 
 you know, I, I tell our committee, our, our committee chairman at our leadership and our staff, and I said, you know, there, Cheyenne for what? Cheyenne Frontier Days means to our locals, our state and or whatever, means. Well, it's, again, the largest outdoor rodeo and western celebration in the world. It's it's the most historic we have, the most historic arena.
 
 We have the largest arena. All that plays into plays into this, this, ambiance, of Cheyenne frontier days. So the, the economic impact, by all means. And our, our, our local businesses and so on. You know, what Cheyenne Frontier Days does for them, is is huge. you know, they're not part of the they're not part of the politics.
 
 And, you know, how we put it on and or whatever, but it's what, what what we do for that for for that individual business or those businesses. Let's talk about sponsors, if I may, for just a little bit, you know, this, this this could not happen. This could not happen with our sponsors. So, our sponsors are really is important.
 
 our sponsors, without sponsorship, we we couldn't do what we did. we, we, you know, our sponsors support this. We cherish our sponsors. We value our sponsors, we and our entertain our sponsors to the, utmost that that we're capable of, so it you know, and I know, sponsor ships in port and everywhere.
 
 But in an event like this, we we absolutely couldn't do it without it. without our sponsors. So are they are they a part of this? yeah, by all means. Yeah. I know Union is really proud to have been a sponsor for many, many years. And, Now. No, now we're, Platinum Arrowhead, which is one of the top sponsors of the event and that's something that I know union takes a lot of pride in. and it's something that you cannot, cannot not be a part of, you know, it's it's just who we are to, you know. Yeah. I mean, we're a Wyoming based company, right? Family owned 110 years this year. You know, how can we not be a part of something to your point that brings that kind of money into the state, the awareness of the state, such a well known event.
 
 We're really proud to be, in partnership with Cheyenne Frontier Days. And I think that partnership will continue for many, many years to come. so we we look forward to it every year. and we love the, the friendships we've built and the community that we've built between Union and the sea. It and the people at CFD that we work with, we've become friends and family.
 It's been awesome. Well, isn't that funny how that happens? And and again, you know, we cherish the same the same thoughts and the same aspects. and, you know, we have different level levels of sponsorship. you know, every one of our sponsors is is critical. Every one of our sponsors is, is is special. And me and, you know, we we, we hope to, keep those relationships and harbor those relationships because, like you said, you know, you you it starts out as a sponsorship, as a business.
 
 And it switches to a friend thing fairly quick. you know, there there again, just like our volunteers, I don't think there's anything that we couldn't do or ask our sponsors to help us with. just because, again, it takes so, so many aspects of everything to, to make this thing happen. I mean, it just does it, you know, I mean, it, you know, and, you know, you talk about the volunteering and so on, you know, aside from, our, our volunteers that fly into town, or whatever, you know, this is a year round deal anymore, if you, you know, we start our committee, start meeting again, as soon as October. you know, I mean, my world, so, you know, our, our leadership structure, Tom Versteeg is our CEO.
 
 and so Tom is the CEO. I'm the CEO. we have a CFO. so, Tom is the business and and I'm the operations that, I, I probably spend more time with Tom, certain times throughout the year than I spend with, and so people, people, people ask me, when do you start for the, for the next year. literally. all joking aside, August 5th, so, you know, our, our, our leadership structure, our committee structure, you serve three years, as a committee chairman or a general chairman. And then that you, you roll out. So we have we have those positions staggered. So every year we'll, you know, we'll have two outgoing chairmen or three outgoing chairmen.
 
 so, I start I actually start with, planning interviews like the 5th August. And the first thing is to get, you know, to get our committee chairmen, our new committee chairmen on board, get them up to speed. and, the ball, I mean, that literally starts the ball rolling and, so then we go, we have a, a planning retreat, the third year and and in September, our board of directors has a planning retreat.
 
 The weekend after that, and we're on the road again. There we go. I mean, so the general committee's planning retreat, I attend and participate in both of those retreats. and, you know, we we set our goals. We set our, priorities. what are we what are we looking at? you know, we we set our, our our our short sighted stuff, our, our long sighted stuff, and we're off and running it.
 
 So when, when does it happen? Literally, it starts for me. August 5th. Basically, you're working on it all year long. You have, like, a little break right after. Yeah, a little breather. Yeah. Yeah. Yep yep. And and and again you know, people say you do this, you do this for nothing. it's not for nothing. like I said, I would, it's an honor.
 
 A privilege, to be able to do this. and again, what what Cheyenne Frontier Days does for it. And I'm not going to say, local state, I'm going to say what Cheyenne Frontier Frontier Days does. And the the recognition of that brand nationwide is unbelievable. Unbelievable. you know, so, you know, we we attend the National Finals Rodeo.
 
 and so we're invited to, you know, other committee function, like Houston's committee function, San Antonio, what have you. And, you know, you walk into a room of people and it is absolutely amazing that that Arrowhead brand. I mean, you're not five steps in a room. And I always tell our incoming committee chairman, just listen to what happens.
 
 You walk in there and inevitably somebody said, Cheyenne's here. And and it's I mean, it is such a recognizable brand. And it like I said, it the the respect and the the aura that this, this brand holds, not only within the, the rodeo world and the rodeo community, but nationwide is is just unbelievable. It's mind blowing. Yeah.
 
 That's something to really be proud of. Sure. well, I wanted to ask one more question before we wrap up, and then we have one final question we ask all of our guests. But, obviously 128 years, it's been an evolution. Right. But what are some of the key traditions that have remained unchanged that you've kept for CFD?
 
 Well, you know, probably our premier tradition, obviously it's giant frontier Day started as a rodeo and with the rodeo. And so a rodeo, our rodeo is pretty special. again, the size of that arena, the events that the so on and so forth. But, as you stated, you know, obviously we don't run shy and frontier days like we did five years ago or three years ago and or whatever.
 
 So that is always a huge balance because you want to keep, you know, you want to keep those true traditions. And I say I say true traditions because sometimes everything becomes a tradition. And it's it's like, well, that really is an a tradition, you know, but again, those, those true traditions and the way I try to balance that is I try to, I try to compare that tradition to the brand again, is, is that is that attached somehow some way to the brand and, it that, that's that's how I kind of measure through traditions. again, you know, where the, the interesting part of this business and it's not just us, but if you think about you take business and and we are truly a business.
 and so, you know, again, it's not it's not yesterday's rodeo. It's not yesterday's entertainment. It's not yesterday's, but, you know, we're landlocked on 30 on on 83 acres. we can't expand. So what, what goes on those 83 acres is pretty scrutinized because. Because it has to be. But, you know, you go back to the business and, show me another business or another company that has ten days to make a year's worth of revenue.
 
 Yeah. Yeah, I mean that. Yeah. And I mean, it's make it a break. It, and, you know, and we're not alone, you know, so like Houston, three weeks, San Antonio's, you know, three weeks. We have ten days. And, so there's not a there's not a lot of wiggle room in there. It's got to happen.
 
 And it's got to happen day in and day out for candidates. again, as, as, you know, as we all live in this world, I mean, prices have gone up. we try to maintain our, our night show and rodeo tickets at a very fair, affordable price for everybody. again, the entertainment industry, we we try to we try to book the, the, the best acts that we can, and, and, you know, this this year, we went for some diversity, and I think it's going to be great. it's going to be exciting. I think we're going to have a great year. everything's shaping up and panning out that way. But again, it that, that that reverberates in my mind time and time again, ten days, ten days to make this thing happen until a year from a year from now and the next ten days.
 
 So, if you think about it too much, it's a little dirty. Yeah. But, like I said, 128 years, we're still doing it. Doing something right? That's right. Yeah.
 
 That's true. Yeah. Awesome. Well thank you, John, before you go, we just want to ask, our final question. how do you stay authentic?
 
 Personally or professionally or whatever you personal. I'm here for either one. Either one, you know, and not to use the same response, but our authenticity, whether it's personal, professional and or whatever. we go back to that brand. That's the authentic piece of all this. That brand, that brand, you know, again, our sponsors wear that brand, our volunteers wear that brand, our our leadership wears that brand.
 
 And again, that to me, that, that that is what, personally reground me. And it's like, you know, we're wearing that brand. We are here for that brand and and that brand makes this happen. So again, that authentic piece, I couldn't think of anything more than the authenticity of that brand. Yeah. I'm sorry. Yeah I love that.
 
 Well thank you again John. We appreciate you being here and talking about John Frontier days. Yeah. Thank you. Well I want to thank I want to thank you. It's a pleasure to do this. you know, again I want to thank you for reaching out and, and asking me to do this, because, you know, I can't I can't talk about, I can't talk about the love and, the this brand and this event enough. it's just like I said, it's humbling. It's a pleasure to do it. and, sponsors, volunteers. you know, we all want to thank them for what they do, because they put this thing on. So, again, thanks for having me. And it's a pleasure to be here. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you.
 
 Yep. Until next time. Stay authentic.