In one sense, being a teen and the challenges of adolescence aren’t all that different from riding a bucking bull or wrestling a steer. The ups and downs and bumps and bruises that come with the teen years can lead to pressures that can be life altering and life threatening, so it is fitting that a local educational program to help teens handle pressures has a vital connection to a rollicking, action-packed rodeo.

August will mark the 13th Annual Jennifer Claire Moore Foundation Professional Rodeo in Foley. All proceeds from the Aug. 5-7 rodeo at the City of Foley Horse Arena will directly benefit the Jennifer Claire Moore Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides educational assistance in suicide prevention and crisis management through “Peer Helper and Peer Leader” programs in 14 county schools.

The JCM Foundation has operated since 1998 on the principle that a teen facing a troubling issue will most likely talk to another teen about it before talking to a teacher or parent or other adult.

Thus, students in participating county schools are selected to be “Peer Helpers.” They go through a “Peer Power” curriculum and receive specialized training and make presentations and offer support to the general school population on such matters as self-esteem, stress, sexual abstinence, alcohol/drugs, grief, weight, and parental divorce.

The JCM Foundation also partners with other organizations to bring in speakers to discuss issues from teen pregnancy to mental health.

The Annual Rodeo, whose proceeds support the JCM Foundation, brings in cowboys and cowgirls from all over the nation. Sponsored by South Baldwin Regional Medical Center, the JCM Foundation Professional Rodeo was recognized as the “2009 Favorite Rodeo” by the Professional Cowboy Association.

The rodeo is a family event that includes local entertainment, trick riders, clowns and children’s activities, besides the bull riding, barrel racing, bareback riding, calf roping and other traditional rodeo events.

Thursday, Aug. 5, will be “Hometown Heroes” Night, a tribute to all military and emergency service personnel. A free children’s village will be available from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. each night. The Rodeo begins at 8 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 6, is “Tough Enough to Wear Pink” Night, with contestants wearing pink in honor of breast cancer survivors and research.

Saturday, Aug. 7, is “Family Night,” which honors families and children.

Tickets at the gate will be $10 for adults, $6 for children ages 4-12, and free for those 3 and under. Pre-sale tickets are available at Summerdale Western Store, State Farm in Foley, and all BB&T and Wells Fargo Banks in Baldwin County for $1 off the admission price.

A number of free events will be held prior to the rodeo. On Tuesday, July 27, at 7 p.m., the Rodeo Queens Horsemanship Contest will be held at the Foley Horse Arena on North McKenzie Street, across from South Baldwin Regional Medical Center.

On Friday, July 30, beginning at 4 p.m., “Music and a Movie” in Heritage Park will be the setting for children to “Touch a Truck” from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Children can touch a wide variety of trucks, and a “horn free” hour for children with special needs will be observed from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Live musical entertainment will begin at 6 p.m. with the Brooks Stanfield Band. The Rodeo Queens will be announced at 6:30 p.m., with the movie “How the West Was Won” starting at dusk.

On Tuesday, Aug. 3, barrel racing will be held at the Foley Horse Arena at 5:30 p.m. Also, barrel racing will be held Saturday, Aug. 7 at 8 a.m. at the Horse Arena.