Honoring Strength: The Inaugural Bison Award Presented to Ashley Crews

At Wanderlust 2025, the Rural Gone Urban Foundation introduced a new tradition—The Bison Award, an honor given to a brave and strong woman who embodies the very heart of the foundation. This award is more than recognition; it is a symbol of resilience, a tribute to those who face life’s storms head-on, refusing to back down.

It is only fitting that the first-ever Bison Award be given to someone who didn’t just walk through the storm—she charged into it with faith, grit, and an unshakable love for the people around her.

Ashley Crews: A Legacy of Strength and Selflessness

Brooke Taylor and Ashley Crews at the inaugural Wanderlust fundraiser in 2023.

Ashley Crews was more than just a supporter of the Rural Gone Urban Foundation; she was a force. One of the foundation’s earliest volunteers, she selflessly gave her time and heart to the Love Bombs and Wanderlust committees, ensuring that other women felt supported, seen, and empowered. Even in her hardest days, Ashley still showed up—bringing her sharp wit, her honesty, and her unwavering generosity to every conversation.

“She was still joining planning calls and participating in group chats only a few weeks before she graduated to heaven,” said Brooke Taylor, Board Chair of the Rural Gone Urban Foundation. “Ashley was one of a kind, and her absence has left a ginormous gap—not just in our foundation, but in our lives.”

Ashley was a businesswoman, a mother, a friend, and an Oklahoma State-loving entrepreneur with a heart bigger than the cause itself. She never let her own challenges stop her from helping others. Even from the trenches of her own medical diagnosis, she was troubleshooting website issues for her family’s direct sales beef business, sharing in the joy of raising her boys, and calling out that jackwagon cancer for what it was.

“I miss her calls where we’d troubleshoot website issues,” Brooke shared. “I miss hearing her light up when she talked about her boys. I miss her honest hot takes about that jackwagon… you know the one. I miss feeling seen by my Oklahoma State-loving, cancer-hating, entrepreneur friend.”

A Love Bomb, A Legacy, A Lasting Impact

In December 2023, the foundation had the privilege of gifting Ashley a Love Bomb, a judgment-free grant designed to help women in the trenches of cancer create memories that matter. It gave her time with her husband, Brock, and their two sons to focus on what truly mattered—joy, love, and moments that would last forever.

And now, through the Bison Award, Ashley’s impact will continue.

Brooke Taylor and Brock Crews | Wanderlust 2025

On the Wanderlust stage, with Ashley’s family present, the foundation posthumously awarded her the first Bison Award, recognizing her unwavering strength and dedication to lifting others even in the face of her own battle. It was a moment of honor, remembrance, and deep gratitude for the woman who exemplified everything this foundation stands for.

“Tonight, we celebrate her,” Brooke said. “It is my honor to present the first-ever Bison Award in memory of Ashley Crews, a woman whose strength, faith, and unwavering spirit will forever be a part of this foundation.”

Ashley’s husband, Brock, took the stage to accept the award on her behalf, standing as a testament to the legacy she left behind.

Why the Bison?

The Bison Award is not just a name—it’s a reflection of a philosophy.

As a first-generation college student, small business owner, and cancer warrior, Brooke Taylor, the foundation’s founder, carried with her a painting of Miracle, a rare white bison calf that symbolized rebirth and resilience. That painting, gifted by her grandmother after the loss of her father, became the inspiration behind her business, Rural Gone Urban, LLC, and now the Rural Gone Urban Foundation logo.

Much like Miracle, the bison itself is a symbol of strength. While other animals run from the storm, the bison turns into it, pushing forward rather than retreating.

“When a storm arises—literally or figuratively—we have an opportunity to lean into it or run,” Brooke explained. “Bison do what any of us hope we’d do in that situation—they face the storm. And in doing so, they’re in the midst of the storm for less time than those who are running with it.”

Ashley was a bison in every sense of the word. She faced the storm with grit and grace, never backing down, always moving forward.

A Tradition of Honoring Brave, Strong Women

Ashley’s story is the first of many. Each year, The Bison Award will honor a woman who embodies the foundation’s mission—brave, strong, and unwilling to let life’s challenges define her.

Ashley’s legacy will not be forgotten. It will continue in the work of the foundation, in the women it supports, and in every single person who chooses to face the storm instead of running from it.