PUEBLO, Colo. – When the first PBR Air Force Reserve Cowboys for a Cause kicked off aboard the USS Lexington in Corpus Christi, Texas, last November, it was for the benefit of Operation Homefront.

Operation Homefront is a nonprofit whose mission is to build strong, secure military families that can thrive in the communities they have worked so hard to protect.

Founded in 2002 in the aftermath of the attacks on September 11, 2001, Operation Homefront has provided programs that offer relief, resiliency and recurring family support programs. The goal is to help families overcome short-term issues so they don’t become long-term problems.

“Primarily our focus is to help our military families get through some of those financial hardships that often derail any hopes of a brighter future,” said Operation Homefront CEO John Pray, Brig. Gen., USAF, (Ret.). “I think it’s a national tragedy, and I think so many of our fellow Americans do feel it’s a national tragedy, when our military families, who have done so much for all of us in our nation’s time of need, end up struggling, and for a variety of different reasons may encounter a financial hardship that puts them on a track that they can’t enjoy the American dream, and now they’re on the outside looking in, in spite of all they’ve done for all of us. So we want to help our military families in their time of need for all they have done for all of us in our nation’s time of need.”

When the opportunity presented itself to partner with the PBR last year, Pray was thrilled, as Western sports align so closely with what it means to be American.

“It’s such a powerful part of our heritage as a nation,” Pray said of bull riding. “It’s an ongoing big part of what makes us Americans. That’s what we do in our nonprofit, is we take care of our service members, and we channel the efforts of the larger American community to support this very special and deserving group of our fellow citizens. So our opportunity to partner with the Professional Bull Riders folks, it just is a dream come true. It was a natural fit, and I really can’t say enough good things about PBR.”

This year’s Cowboys for a Cause will be held on Saturday nd will air in a two-hour broadcast on CBS Sunday at noon ET.

World Champions Jose Vitor Leme, Kaique Pacheco and Cooper Davis will each captain a team aboard the USS Lexington and will be joined by such stars as world No. 5 Joao Ricardo Vieira, 2019 Rookie of the Year Dalton Kasel, 2012 PRCA champion Cody Teel, three-time World Champion Silvano Alves and more.

This year, the beneficiary of Cowboys for a Cause will be Farmer Veteran Coalition, whose goal is to cultivate a new generation of farmers and food leaders, and develop viable employment and meaningful careers through the collaboration of the farming and military communities.

At the first Cowboys for a Cause event last November, PBR and its partners raised $250,000 for military charities, and league partners Wrangler and Bad Boy Mowers each donated $25,000 to Operation Homefront.

The event also put Operation Homefront and its mission on CBS national television – a much larger audience than the organization usually gets.

“Being invited to be a part of PBR’s efforts really expanded our reach,” Pray said. “The show touched millions – no surprise – and getting the awareness out on our important work is incredibly important. Ninety percent of everything we spend goes towards our programs. And so we don’t spend a lot on advertising, and so we rely on wonderful partners like PBR to help us get the word out on the good work that we do for our military families. Not only to encourage military families to seek our help, but also give other like-minded Americans the opportunity and a vehicle by which they can help this very special and deserving group of our fellow Americans.”

RELATED: For more information on Operation Homefront, visit operationhomefront.org

In the last several years, Pray says that Operation Homefront has fulfilled almost 50,000 requests for help from military families, totaling about $35 million, with each request averaging $800.

Thanks to just the $50,000 donated by Wrangler and Bad Boy Mowers alone, Operation Homefront was able to help in the ballpark of 60-75 families.

“Changing lives,” Pray said. “And you take a look at what we do for the military families – we keep them in their homes, we keep the lights on for them, we’re providing them food and groceries for their families, fixing up their car, fixing up their homes. These are really important things at a very basic level, and there are many military families, like many American families, who are literally an unexpected car repair away from financial disaster. So I think PBR can probably take great pride in realizing they’ve helped us help somewhere in the neighborhood of 60-75 families, just from this one small event, overcome or get by financial disaster. And those families are on their way to being productive members of their local communities. So it’s huge. It’s huge.”

RELATED: Air Force Reserve Flight to the Lexington: PBR bucks bulls on aircraft carrier, raising $250,000 for military charities

That’s not even counting the potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars of additional donations that came in from PBR fans inspired to donate after watching the event.

“It means a lot, and every dollar counts,” Pray said.

While it will be Operation Homefront’s COO, Brig. Gen., USAF, (Ret.) Bob Thomas on hand at the USS Lexington to represent the organization, Pray says he will be watching from home decked out in his cowboy boots and the Wrangler jeans he’s wanted since he was a 20-something completing initial Air Force training in Altice, Oklahoma.

“We could not do all the good that we do without amazing partners like PBR, who believe in our mission, believe in what we’re doing, believe in the need to help our military families have the opportunity to enjoy what many other Americans have the opportunity to enjoy, and that’s being able to thrive in their communities,” Pray said. “Can’t thank PBR enough for being part of the team.”

Photos courtesy of Andy Watson / BullStockMedia