ODESSA, TX (KWES) - This Friday, the 63rd annual Sandhills Stock Show and Rodeo will kickoff at the Ector County Coliseum. As many of us know, the coliseum is home to the Odessa Jackalopes, so every year a group of local volunteers transform the ice rink into a rodeo arena.
"Hockey played their last game on Friday night, the 29th, I believe. They turned the chillers off, put the heaters on in the coliseum and let the ice melt. We let it melt all day Saturday. Then come in Sunday morning and pull the logos up and by 6 o'clock Sunday afternoon, we had dirt in the Coliseum," said Kevin Evans.
On Sunday, it took about 154 to 156 dump truck loads full of dirt to fill the coliseum and seeing the finish product is no better feeling.
"The transformation is outstanding. When you walk into that arena on Friday and everything is dressed, and what I mean by dressed is the banners up and everything ready, in my opinion it's a sense of pride," said Evans.
That pride is reflected on all the behind the scenes work these local community members have done to make this event a success.
"Everyone one of us are volunteers. From the ground up, we're here to put on a great show for the crowd," said Evans.
The arena is not complete yet, but Kevin and the others are working hard, so by Friday, it'll be decked out and ready for the first day of the 2018 rodeo.
