Cheyenne ‘Thankful Thursday’ Party Passes $1.5 Million Mark

"Thankful Thursday" passed another major milestone last week. The party with a purpose has now raised over $1.5 million for charities in Cheyenne.

It all started ten years ago when local radio personality "Rodeo Rick" Darcy approached bar owner Bryan "Alf" Grzegorczyk about throwing a happy hour party and raising some money for the American Red Cross.

"The first week, we did a 50/50 raffle and raised a grand total of $40," Darcy recalled. "As time went on, we kept adding more raffle items and it just kept growing. Now, Thankful Thursday is a tradition in Cheyenne and Casper and we've raised nearly $3 million statewide."

In 2016, the Wyoming Association of Broadcasters honored Thankful Thursday with their Public Service award. Along with supporting a long list of charitable organizations, the event has also given away thousands in cash and prizes.

Over the years, Thankful Thursday co-founder and emcee Alf has proven that he'll do just about anything to raise money for a good cause, including wearing a bikini in public.