For as long as he can remember Mickey Crosina has attended the Williams Lake Stampede.
His parents, the late Willie and Terry Crosina, were always in rodeo and their six children followed their footsteps.
Trying steer riding half a dozen times himself, even winning a couple of times, Mickey decided it wasn’t his career.
Since 1970 he has volunteered at the Stampede doing everything from cleaning bucking chutes and the grandstands to serving as a director.
This year he plans to spend time working at the Let R Buck Saloon gate, a job he thoroughly enjoys.
A family tradition, the Crosina involvement goes back to the days of Antoine Boitanio, Mickey’s great, great grandfather on his mom’s side who was one of the judges and instrumental in starting the Stampede.
Recently his parents have been honoured permanently at the Stampede Grounds with the log rodeo announcer’s booth named the Willie Crosina Pavillion in 2019.
In the spring of 2022, a bench was installed in the special events area dedicated to Terry with a plaque and in 2024 another plaque honouring Willie was added.
Smiling Mickey said it is nice to see them being recognized and he could not wait to go see the new plaque for himself.
Mickey also enjoys photographing the rodeo and said he has hundreds of photographs he’s taken over the years, some of which he has given to the Williams Lake Stampede in the past.
Other lifetime membership recipients for the 96th Annual Williams Lake Stampede include Cecilia DeRose, Tim and Susan Rolph, Sherry and John Bullock and Jack Palmantier.
