My wife is the local program director for Big Brothers Big Sisters, an outreach of the organizations Kansas City chapter.

I’m very proud of the work she’s doing with this awesome organization and how it’s growing in our hometown – how beneficial it is to everyone involved.

On Thursday, we took part in a photo shoot involving some of the Littles in the program, even one who is part of the local group. The headliners were Kansas City Chief Eric Berry, Kansas City Royal Eric Hosmer and professional boxer Victor Ortiz. Berry, who is the spokesman for BBBS, and the other two men donated their time and, in all likelihood, money to support Men 2 Men, a fund-raiser for the organization. Before that, though, all three men met with the youngsters and took part in the photo shoot.

I was pleasantly surprised with how personable and giving all three men were. Ortiz, who is from western Kansas like me, shared a fabulous smile and his insights with everyone. Watching the faces of the boys and girls light up with these famous men and the responses they got made me feel good about it.

But also it helped me realize just how special the folks in rodeo really are. While Berry, Hosmer and Ortiz seem to go against the grain of ego-driven, big-name athletes, it’s what you find most often among the professional athletes who make their living in the world of rodeo.

Ortiz, Berry and Hosmer were giving and friendly and genuinely cared about the kids with whom they were sharing their time. They’d fit in quite nicely with Will Lowe, Billy Etbauer and countless other cowboys and cowgirls.