SAN ANTONIO – A new book is capturing the history of the service, spirit and performance of Jefferson High School’s Lassos Rope and Dance Team.
The 200+page book is titled “The Lasso Legacy-Then and Now. More than Roping.”
The president of the Lasso Alumni Association said members started working on the book about five years ago.
“It’s been a labor of love. We had several members on our book committee that put it all together. We did a lot of research. We interviewed a lot of people and there’s just some amazing stories in the book. The Lassos have a long history. The organization is over 91 years old, so there’s a lot of stories to tell in 91 years ,” said Susan Ruiz, president of the Lasso Alumni Association.
The book has pictures and stories about the people who impacted this group.
“We think researchers will use it. Who are doing historical stories and research about the city. This is going to be a good tool for them,” said Book Committee Chair Shirley Wills.
Joe-Beth Kirkpatrick, a former lasso, is featured in the book.
“We got to go places and perform for all different kinds of groups,” Kirkpatrick said.
Kirkpatrick is still connected with the team in many ways and spends time teaching the next generation of lassos. She said teamwork is key.
“You learned on how to depend on each other and back each other up,” Kirkpatrick said.
The book will be on sale at Los Barrios Mexican Restaurant from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.
“The legacy continues in San Antonio. The lassos are part of our city and we want people to know about it,” Ruiz said.