Bobby DelVecchio was one of the most unlikely cowboys to make it as a star in the PBR.

Bobby D., a.k.a. “Yankee” and “Bronx” to fellow riders, left his fifth-floor walk-up on 182^nd Street and the mean streets of New York to barnstorm the country as a rodeo star before becoming a founding member of Professional  Bull Riders.

The colorful, swaggering boy from the Bronx would wow crowds with his flashy chaps and colorful victory dance while finding favor with the media in turning a phrase as adeptly as he hung onto the rankest bulls.

Bobby D. once summed up his profession this way: “In bull riding, it’s money… or mud.”

Indeed, PBR cowboys make the 8 and some money… or get a mouthful of dirt and no paycheck.  

During the live sporting event shut-down that was brought on by the Coronavirus pandemic, which is hitting DelVecchio’s hometown especially hard, PBR riders are finding alternate ways to make a living to put food on the table for their families.

To assist its riders in this time, PBR has now unveiled a #BuckTheVirus T-shirt, which is now available on the league's online shop.

All proceeds after manufacturing costs will go directly to “Protect the Ride” – a new fund set up within the Western Sports Foundation (WSF) to help cowboys and their families who may be in need. (PBR is the primary financial supporter of WSF.)

#BuckTheVirus is an offshoot of the campaign, #BeatTheVirus, which calls attention to behaviors we all must adopt to collectively defeat COVID-19. This website https://beatthevirus.org/ shares the most up to date information and social guidance available.

#BeatTheVirus, now with PBR’s support through #BuckTheVirus, is a social media campaign aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19.  Core to the campaign are short, fun selfie videos based on messages grounded in science for simple personal actions everyone can all take to slow the spread.

PBR fans are encouraged to join in and record a performance (spoken, sung, rapped, or rhymed) that commits all of us to doing our part to help beat the virus by preventing the spread of COVID-19.

Fans can post their videos on social media (Instagram, Twitter, Snap, TikTok, Facebook) with the hashtags #BuckTheVirus and #BeatTheVirus, and call on their followers and friends to record their own video with the hashtags.   

Bobby D., the PBR and WSF encourage fans to have fun in helping spread this important message, to practice what you preach, and most of all to be safe.