It’s rodeo month in Clovis. Meet the teens helping the city prepare for visitors
For more than a century, a sense of urgency takes hold in the beginning of spring at the Clovis Rodeo Association’s headquarters in Old Town Clovis. That’s when preparations for the annual grand rodeo ramp up for members of the association and residents, often requiring hundreds of volunteers to beautify the city.
This year, they were helped by a group of teens who organized dozens of volunteers to clean up the city’s core in order to present its best face to the tens of thousands of visitors who will attend the 111th Clovis Rodeo at the end of the month.
Saturday’s “Cowboy Cleanup” marked the first time the newly formed Clovis Youth Commission hosted an official public event and flexed its vision to make the community a better place.
Established in late 2023, the youth commission consists of up to 21 high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors. The City Council created the commission in hopes of promoting civic engagement among the city’s teens and fostering within them a sense of ownership in shaping the city’s future.
Students can serve up to three years in the commission until they graduate from high school. They meet once a month to learn about the operations of local government and plan projects that benefit the youth of Clovis, said City Clerk Briana Parra.
“The first year was like a trial run because we knew nothing of what we were doing. We wanted to make an impact, but we didn’t have a slight idea, so we were all talking about what we should do for next year,” said Avereet Samra, a founding member who leads the commission. “Last year was just a prep, so we can actually put things in place.”
Samra said the commission decided on the cleanup project because the annual rodeo is a “big thing” in Clovis, and the event would provide an opportunity for teenagers to participate in community services, especially middle and high school students who need volunteer hours.
“Old Town is where Clovis all started, and our rodeo is one of our proudest moments in Clovis. It’s a huge part of who Clovis is,” said Jasmine Parmer, a member of the youth commission. “I feel centering around our core and our beginnings is very important as a community.”
When registration for the cleanup opened in early March, all of the 100 volunteer slots were taken within 24 hours.
“Everybody’s having a good time out here in downtown Clovis looking for garbage to make it look nicer for the rodeo and all the guests coming,” said Emilee Cook, an 8-year Clovis resident and mother of two.
Cook said she heard about the event from a friend and immediately signed up so her family could help make a difference. The downtown was “pretty clean overall”, she said, and the pickup turned into a scavenger hunt. They found some bottles and cigarette butts.
“It’s our first time doing it, and we really enjoyed it,” said Addison Johnson, a Clovis junior high student.
Johnson and her friend, Mia Gault, are part of their school’s student leadership team, and they participated in the cleanup to serve the community.
Clovis Mayor Vong Mouanoutoua said the council set up the Commission for youths to learn about their city and to include their voices in making decisions for the city’s future.
“We plan the city for the next 15 years or 30 years. Some of us won’t be around, but they’re gonna be around. What are they thinking? What do they want? What are they seeing in their city?” said Mouanoutoua.
