By Lorell Heckman and Brad Reynolds
In April 2017, Rocky Heckman—father, husband, and lifelong rodeo supporter—succumbed to the brain cancer that he had bravely fought for nearly two years. But this was not the end of Rocky’s legacy. In lieu of flowers at his funeral, Rocky’s wife, Lorell, requested that donations be sent to fund two non- profit groups which she had founded, Cancer Vive It (a 401c3 support group) and Rocky’s Road. “I wanted to do something in Rocky’s memory,” Lorell recalls. “My daughter designed a belt buckle and Mike Marzetta at Hoglund’s wanted to help do something with it. We decided it would be an award for others who had faced adversity with perseverance, character, and hope, as Rocky had faced his battle.”
Lorell’s name for the award, the Perseverance, Character, Hope Buckle, comes from the book of Romans. It is meant to be awarded not only to someone who has faced great adversity, but who has dedicated their life to a higher purpose (i.e. helping others). Since 2017, one recipient has been awarded each year at the Big Sky Pro Rodeo in August.
“They don’t always have strong ties to the rodeo, but they’re always people who embrace the Western way of life,” Lorell explains. When it comes to selecting a recipient, Lorell says she prays on it. There are obvious choices—people who make the news for overcoming hardships and accomplishing great things—but Lorell seeks to honor those who may have flown under the radar with their accomplishments. Once a recipient is selected, Lorell works with their friends and family to write a speech, gather photos, and most importantly, get the recipient to the rodeo!
“We always try to keep it a surprise,” says Lorell. Often, the recipient doesn’t know they are receiving an award until they are loaded up in a wagon to be driven around the stadium. It’s a big moment, not just for the recipient, but for the Heckman family as well. “To see how this award builds people up is really important to us,” says Lorell.
With a beautiful handcrafted buckle presented by Jensen Silver and generously donated by Hoglund’s Western wear, this year’s recipient has persevered with the persistence and tenacity to keep going even when it was hard. Her character has been one of self-discipline and courage with a strong sense of responsibility and passion.
She has diligently given back to her community and others. Her story is one of optimism and an expectation of positiveness, never without hope for a better tomorrow. Her name says it all, as the 2024 Perseverance Character Hope Award goes to Hope Good.
To beat breast cancer, you must persevere, you must have strong character, and you must have hope. So, for anyone who knows Hope Good, it should come as no surprise that she won her fight against this terrible disease. What’s more, she has used her experience to educate and encourage others in their own battles with breast cancer.
Growing up on her family farm near Moccasin, Montana, Hope was raised to be resilient. Her mother, a school librarian, played a particularly large role in shaping the woman she has become, teaching Hope to be brave, to be well-read, and that sometimes, problems are best solved creatively. With these teachings, Hope would go on to found Treasure State Lifestyles, a free magazine by Montanans for Montanans, highlighting the communities, people, and values that embody our Western way of life.
When Hope’s mother was forty-eight, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a radical mastectomy to overcome the disease. In spite of the stigma, Hope remembers her saying, “Life is more important than a breast.”
In 2014, Hope took this to heart when she entered her own fight against breast cancer. She had a double mastectomy, underwent months of chemo, and started the path to reconstruction.
Throughout all of it, she refused to lose her optimism.
In fact, she saw it as an opportunity to empower others. In 2015, Hope started her own charity, Breast Cancer Awareness, to provide women with the tools to prevent, understand, and overcome breast cancer. “There are a lot of big, clinical words that get thrown at you when you’re diagnosed with cancer,” Hope says. “If you don’t understand any of it, how can you know if you’re making the right choices?”
Toward that end, Hope’s charity holds a fundraiser each year for Breast Cancer Awareness. The funds are used to publish a booklet which helps families understand, in layman’s terms, the different risk levels, testing, and therapies involved in fighting the disease. These free booklets are distributed across Montana.
In 2016, Hope was diagnosed with breast cancer a second time. And for a second time, she won her battle. Hope is grateful that it was not a fight she had to face alone. Her family, friends, fellow survivors, and the power of prayer all helped her through this difficult time. She speaks openly about her experiences and advocates the importance of working with a medical team you can trust. With education and encouragement, she hopes to reduce the fears surrounding breast cancer. “Knowledge is power,” says Hope. “You should never accept diagnosis as a death sentence.”
For more information on Rocky’s road or to submit a nomination, visit Rocky’s Road Continues on Facebook.