Franklin, Tenn. (May 11, 2026) – The annual Franklin Rodeo is more than entertainment. It’s giving back to others.
When the bills are paid after each year of rodeo, the Franklin Noon Rotary Club, the producer of the rodeo, gifts the proceeds to a variety of non-profit organizations throughout Williamson County and Middle Tennessee.
Last year, nearly 70 different organizations received Rotary funds to assist with everything from children with developmental disabilities to 4-H, and from home safety to Boy and Girl Scouts, and more.
For the children at ABLE Youth, the money donated by the Noon Rotary Club keeps their wheelchairs running and provides replacement tires and tubes.
And those wheelchairs are often used for sports, said Amy Saffell, executive director for ABLE Youth.
“Through adaptive sports, kids with physical disabilities learn to be more independent,” she said.
ABLE Youth used funds from the Rotary Club two years ago to purchase replacement axles for basketball wheelchairs, along with ratchets, leg straps, basketballs, and scrimmage jerseys.
The wheelchairs are specifically designed for sports, Saffell said. “The chairs move a lot faster and easier, and they can turn better.” They have adaptations for basketball, including a bar in front of the feet that protects the feet while also allowing the participant to set defensive positions and screens, she said.
Participating in wheelchair sports opens up avenues for the kids, Saffell said. Sports skills can transfer to independent living skills, “and become a motivating catalyst to become more independent.”
Through sports, kids can recognize that there are plenty of possibilities for them throughout life.
“Kids come into our program not knowing what they are capable of,” Saffell said. “Once they learn, I can play basketball, I can play tennis, they start to think, what else can I do if I can do this? That goes way into their future, like, I can go to college, and I can live independently. It creates a chain reaction of thinking of all the other things they can do with their life.”
The kids excelled at basketball this year; both of the Music City Thunder wheelchair basketball teams qualified for the Wheelchair Basketball National Championship Tournament in Louisiana in March. The younger team (ages 13 and under) finished third in the nation.
A different kind of wheels has benefited from Rotary funds.
Mechanics on a Mission, based in Eagleville and College Grove, Tenn., provides free vehicles and repairs for anyone battling transportation insecurity, including military veterans, single moms and dads, widows, and kids transitioning out of foster care.
People in need of transportation are referred to Mechanics on a Mission by churches, ministries, and non-profits, which provide some of the funding for the purchase or repair of the vehicle.
Started in 2022, the mission will give away its 250th car this month, said Brian Sweatt, executive director and founder.
With funds provided by Rotary, Mechanics on a Mission will provide three vehicles to women from Oak Cottage for Women. This faith-based organization helps meet the needs of women formerly imprisoned in the Tennessee prison system.
The need for a working vehicle is important, Sweatt said.
“Without a car, you can’t get to work, and you can’t pay your bills,” he said. “There’s hope and freedom in having your own transportation.”
Having your own vehicle also frees up money that might have been spent on ride-sharing, too.
Mechanics on a Mission works with 30+ area dealerships and repair shops and has more than 200 techs and mechanics who give their time to ensure vehicles run well.
“We want to make a difference in people’s lives in a tangible way,” Sweatt said.
Each year, non-profits apply for funding from the Franklin Noon Rotary Foundation; the foundation disperses funds after the rodeo.
More than $300,000 was given to 70 organizations last year.
Some of the organizations receiving funding in 2025 included Freedom Reigns Ranch, Oak Cottage for Women, Path United, Bridges of Williamson County, Habitat for Humanity, Williamson-Maury, UT-Martin Rodeo, and Williamson County CASA.
The Franklin Rodeo is May 14-16 at the Williamson Co. Ag Expo Center. Shows start at 7 pm nightly. Tickets range in price from $18 to $52. Standing-room-only tickets are also available for $24 for adults, $13 for children ages 3-12, and free for children 2 and under.