Over the past 12 years, Santa Barbara County riding group Rancheros Visitadores, in partnership with Wrangler, has donated more than $1.5 million to the Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara to support local cancer research and care programs.
The Rancheros Visitadores was started in the Santa Ynez Valley in the 1930s by local ranch owners to carry on a tradition where ranchers would drive their cattle to market in the spring, said John Balch, the Rancheros Visitadores general manager. Every spring, the rancheros host a ride to the Mission Santa Inés to commemorate the old vaquero tradition.
In 2012, former club member Steve Beneto came up with the idea of partnering with Wrangler to start a campaign called Tough Enough to Wear Pink, where the Rancheros Visitadores would raise money for breast cancer treatment and awareness with a focus in Santa Barbara County, Balch said.
“A lot of our members’ wives and in some cases daughters have developed breast cancer, so he thought that was a good area to focus in, and we’ve been supporting them annually,” Balch said.
For the first time since 2022, the Rancheros will parade through the streets of Solvang to the Mission Santa Inés on May 4 where they will present a $155,000 check to the Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara in celebration of its continued efforts to support cancer treatment.
“We love coming back here every year. ... It’s an old Spanish custom, and it’s something we’re trying to carry on,” Balch said. “We’ve been a part of the valley for 90, 94 years now, and we appreciate the kindness of ranchers in the valley who allow us to ride through their property so we can have an annual trek every year.”
The Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara raises funds to ensure that all county residents have access to oncology, nutrition counseling, and genetic counseling, alongside support groups and wellness groups at Santa Barbara and Solvang’s Ridley Tree Cancer Center, said Stephanie Carlyle, the foundation’s director of philanthropy and administration.
“There’s everything from scalp cooling to minimize damage to follicles so their hair may not fall out, to acupuncture to the other services mentioned. These services are not typically reimbursed—these are things we have raised funds to ensure they have access to this through and beyond cancer to help with their recovery efforts,” Carlyle said.
The Rancheros Visitadores raising $1.5 million in overall contributions is a “pretty significant milestone,” she added.
“I would say that there are probably a small handful of organizations or groups who might commit themselves to a particular cause, and to see them continue to support year after year is really remarkable,” Carlyle said. “With such a strong presence in the valley, they know they are helping their friends, neighbors, and even fellow riders as they face cancer.”
All contributions to the foundation circle back into its programs, keeping dollars local and ensuring that residents can get the treatment they need covered, rather than going elsewhere, she said.
“The cancer foundation raises funds each year to support these programs, and our grants are typically around $3 million or more to cover the costs of these services. We rely on local donors, groups, and organizations to help us raise the funds to ensure these funds are available,” Carlyle said. “Those donations help us deliver a level of care not normally possible for a community of our size, making us unique as to what is available for our patients.”
Visit cfsb.org to learn more about the Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara or donate to its programs. The Rancheros Visitadores is an invite-only club, and membership requires sponsorship.
Highlight
• The Lompoc Public Library System’s Village Library is offering a pilot seed library program that allows gardeners to borrow seeds from the library at planting time. Seed libraries encourage biodiversity and decrease reliance on major seed companies. This practice helps combat seed monocultures, which threaten the world’s food supply, according to the library. Patrons who borrow seeds from the Village Library save the seeds from their plants and return a portion of the seeds to the library. Participants start by picking out their seeds—limited to five packets a day—sign out what they have taken in a seed binder, and return dry seeds from plants the patron has grown. The seed library runs on donations from library patrons; store-bought seeds are also welcome in place of seeds from a home garden. Direct questions to (805) 733-3323.
Reach Staff Writer Taylor O’Connor at [email protected].
