2025 Introducing Project NK OK, A conversation with Brother Rodeo

2025 Introducing Project NK OK, a conversation with NK Rodeo

 

Today, our Brother Rodeo from our Appalachian Chapter joined us on the podcast for a long-awaited discussion introducing his Project NK OK.

 

Rodeo is a Marine Corps Veteran. He joined straight out of high school and served for 6 years. After serving the country, he had an opportunity to join the Florida Marine Patrol, which later became the Florida Fish & Wildlife. He later transitioned to a local Sheriff’s office and spent the remainder of his career there before retiring and moving to the Appalachian Chapter.

 

Rodeo was first with the Westside FL Chapter and claims now to be on the best motorcycling roads in the nation. 

 

NK OK was first introduced at the OJ Run in 2023. Rodeo was deeply impacted by a personal experience with a Brother and friend who took his own life. Throughout his military service and law enforcement career, he encountered or witnessed many similar events. He remarked that in many of those occasions, you would never have imagined that the individual was harboring those feelings, and that the next thing you know, you hear the news of what happened.  

 

Rodeo observed that it goes to the forefront of the discussion for about a week, and then it's politely ushered away and no one ever talks about it. “It’s the shiny penny for about 10 seconds and then its gone.” “The end product is that you have a job to do, and your personal feelings and everything that goes along with is kind of sidebar.”

 

Rodeo finally decided that he had to do something. After thinking about it for quite a while and being introspective about his own feelings. He realized that we all need to address those feelings and the impact its having on us.

 

At the OJ Run, he felt like it was time to say his peace and introduce the idea of the program. He received a lot of support at the event and for the months following. The following year at the NK Memorial Run in DC, he addressed the entire coalition of the organization and invested a great deal of himself in creating an introduction letter for the Program NK OK.

 

Today, the Program serves as Gateway for the Nam Knights Brothers and others in need. NK OK draws from a great deal of support, but Brother Rodeo still shoulders the bulk of the program. 

 

He believes that the Program will continue to grow within the club and also in the community of Military, Veterans, First Responders, Law Enforcement, and anyone in need of talking to someone. “It's just a place where like-minded people can talk about it”, sometimes you just need someone to listen to you.

 

For more information contact Rodeo at the email below.

EMAIL: [email protected]