The number of volunteers working at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo has more than doubled since 2005, to 34,000. (Courtesy Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo) One of the most impressive numbers the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo offers has nothing to do with concert attendance or total heads through the gate. It’s the eye-popping figure for volunteers, a small army of locals that makes sure every aspect of the event goes off without a hitch. The first official volunteer committee was formed in 1938 to sell tickets and exhibits, but the majority these days toil on a variety of working committees that play host to livestock, horse show and commercial exhibitors and the general public, said Joel Cowley, the event’s president and CEO. “It obviously offsets paid labor costs and saves the show a tremendous amount on labor that can be driven back into scholarships and educational giving,” he… Continue Reading Houston’s Rodeo: Volunteers to the Rescue