Bullriding benefit for Graves Saturday

By John Blackledge, llcsportswriter@gmail.com

July 10, 2009 11:04 am

— The second annual Benefit Bull Bash for Will Graves is scheduled for Saturday at the Cameron Center.
On Dec, 31, 2008, West Jones high School senior Will Graves was involved in a vehicle accident that left him paralyzed. Since that moment in Grave’s life, there have been many challenges the family has gone through, not only spiritually, but financially.
Kelle Clairmont, a senior at Northeast Jones High School, knew instantly what could be done to help the family. The answer was a bull ride. “This is the second year that we will be putting on the this benefit,” he said. “Last year we put it on for a little girl who had leukemia,” Clairmont said. “This year we are putting it on for Will Graves,” he said. “Will has been through a bunch, and he has also been able to bring people to a relationship with Jesus Christ, and that just means the world to me.”
As a benefit, the bull riders don’t want any of the purses from this event.”With Will being able to stay positive through what he has been through, this was a way that I could do something for him,” he said. “I’ve been bull riding all of my life, and we just wanted to give something back to the Graves family.”
Mary Margaret Graves, Will’s mother, can’t get over the blessings the family has received from so many people in the county. “Back in January, the Clairmonts came to us and wanted to put on the ride,” she said. “Jones County is known for having some heated rivals between schools, but when schools can forget about the rivals and help each other when another student is in need, that is such a blessing.”
Mrs. Graves feels that the bull ride is a big event and it helps brings the community together. “This bull ride was a big event last year,” she said. “Kelle is a very talented bull rider, and we just think that this is a great deed that he and his family is putting on.”
According to Clairmont, there will be bull riders from all over the South participating. “There is a big rodeo going on in North Carolina,” he said. “These riders could have gone to that one, but when you ride, it’s like you’re one big family.
“We have riders coming in from Louisiana to Florida. Local riders will include Jacob Welch, a student at West Jones; Shane Poole, a student at South Jones and Clairmont.
The event will take place at the Magnolia Center. Gates will open at 5 p.m. Opening ceremonies begin at 7 p.m. Admission is $10 per person.