The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is a 21-day event that takes place every March. The show benefits the community, raising money to support youth, education and agricultural practices. Along with the rodeo and livestock show and auction, the festival includes a concert each night by well-known artists. The artists range from Kenny Chesney and Brad Paisley to Kid Rock and Jason Derulo.

We talked to our Houston facility manager, Lorenzo Botello, to get the scoop on what the Rodeo means to the city of Houston and how he played a role in volunteer efforts.

How important is this festival to the city of Houston?
Each year, the Rodeo gives out thousands of dollars in educational scholarships. The majority of the revenue comes from ticket sales and animal auctions. The animals that were raised during the previous months leading up to the rodeo are auctioned off to the highest bidder. For example, this year the Grand Champion Steer sold for $375,000.

We know you were one of the many volunteers, what was your role within the festival?
The entire Rodeo is run by 30,000 volunteers which is broken down into 108 different committees - with each committee having a specific concentration area. I was associated with the Rodeo Express committee. This committee assisted in the smooth flow of bus and light rail traffic at NRG Park and at off-site parking locations. Committee members monitored and directed bus traffic and guided passengers to their appropriate buses. We had a total of 1,700 members on our entire committee.

How big of an impact has this show had on education?
Since the rodeo began back in 1932, it has raised more than $400 million for education and student scholarships. This year, the show committed more than $25.8 million to education, including scholarships and grants.

With the event taking place throughout the month, how many people attend each year?
This year was one of the biggest ever with 2.4 million people experiencing everything from concerts, livestock auctions and amazing Texas cuisine. We almost reached our record attendance, set in 2013, of 2.5 million attendees.

Have you been to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo? Share your experiences with other Fast Park guests on our Facebook page!