SAN ANTONIO – Citing increased expenses and less donations, the annual Cowboy Breakfast may be canceled next year, the Cowboy Breakfast Foundation announced Thursday.
The event is tentatively scheduled for Jan. 27, 2023, but Vice-Chairman Chuck Christian said the organization has only secured about 15% of the more than $30,000 in cash it needs to feed roughly 30,000 people for free.
“As it stands right now, unless we can come up with the money by December 1st, this may be the end of the Cowboy Breakfast. It may be for the year. It may be permanently,” Christian told KSAT on Friday.
Prices have increased considerably since the last time they put on the full event in 2020, Christian said, including liability insurance, tents, barricades, and security.
More importantly, though, the event’s main sponsor had to pull out roughly two months ago, “just due to the economy and their business.”
Christian declined to name the business but said organizers have been looking unsuccessfully for someone else to fill the role, which he said typically covers about 70% of the costs beyond the in-kind donations.
Christian said they’re looking for someone who can cut a check for between $30,000 and $35,000. But at this point, they’re also looking for any help they can get.
“Open those checkbooks. Send us some money,” Christian said. “We would love to talk with a large corporate sponsor that could handle the event. Just anyone with money.”
The event has been free for the last 44 years and is a family-friendly way to kick off the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. Proceeds from the event have been donated to the St. Philips College -- Tourism, Hospitality & Culinary Arts Programs.
“In the last 20 years, we have donated over $250,000 to the scholarship fund,” the foundation said in a news release.
This year’s event was private due to COVID-19 and served breakfast free of charge to San Antonio police and fire departments. This was the second year in a row the event wasn’t public due to the pandemic.
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Anyone interested in helping make the event happen can reach out to Board President Brad Dietrich at 210-416-4787 or Vice-Chair Chuck Christian at 210-316-0588.
If the event doesn’t meet its fundraising goal, the proceeds will donated directly to St. Philip College programs, according to the foundation.