Sisters Rodeo runs on volunteer efforts

Sure, it’s all about broncs and bulls, brave cowboys and skilled cowgirls — Old West pageantry and cowboy spirit.

But none of the excitement of the annual Sisters Rodeo would happen without a lot of behind-the-scenes toil and sweat from an almost countless cadre of dedicated volunteers.

Since 1941, the Sisters Rodeo has been one of Central Oregon’s most popular events and a landmark show for Sisters, attracting rodeo fans and performers from throughout the country. It’s Oregon’s third biggest rodeo, surpassed only by the Pendleton Roundup and the St. Paul Rodeo.

When it hits town this coming weekend, Friday-Sunday, June 10-12, the Sisters Rodeo will be the biggest rodeo in the nation, attracting hundreds of fans and over 400 performers.

But it is an often overlooked fact that this is a unique event in a special way — the rodeo is an all-volunteer effort.

Volunteers plan and direct the event, sell the tickets, prepare the grounds, select a queen and grand marshal, staff the gates, provide security, cook the food, clean the grounds and for good measure organize a major parade.

“We couldn’t begin to put on this rodeo without the help of all of our volunteers,” Rodeo President Glenn Miller said. “We have well over 200 volunteers that make this happen each year.”

Helping Miller in organizing the rodeo and soliciting volunteers are board members Ron Alexander, Billybob Bruhns, Bob Buckmann, Ron Collins, Secretary Marcea DeGregorio, Vice President Curt Kallberg, John Leavitt, Bonnie Malone, Treasurer John Rogers, and Cathy Williams. Each has an area of responsibility to oversee.

Their work for next year’s rodeo begins right at the end of this year’s event.

In the fall, volunteers help John Leavitt select the queen for next year’s rodeo. By the end of the year, new brochures are ready to mail from the ticket office. Then, Cathy Williams, Dixie Morken, Pat Smith, and Gary Woods start taking mail and phone orders.

Cathy Williams has been involved with the rodeo for more than 25 years, serving as a past treasurer and a current director. She started volunteering before she moved from Portland.

“It’s a good community project with good quality people helping out,” she said.

Smith is the newest office volunteer with three years experience.

“I enjoy the camaraderie and would miss it if I wasn’t here,” Pat said. “My husband, Bud, and I waited to choose what community activity we would participate in when we moved here and we chose the rodeo. He works at the main gate during the rodeo.”

Gary Woods has been working in the ticket office for 15 years. He and his wife, Evonne, also help with brochure mailing and usher in the box seats during the rodeo.

Bonnie Malone has been active with the rodeo for 23 years. Besides working with publicity and box seat servers, she recruits volunteers for 60 positions to be ushers.

In the rodeo clubhouse kitchen, food is served to volunteer work parties in the spring and during the rodeo. Pat Page has been volunteering for 16 years, heading up the food concessions for all but her first year. Eula Curtis started out in the ticket office “at least 15 years ago” and now works in the kitchen with Nina Ondina, a 15-year volunteer, and Rosie Collins, a 24-year volunteer and past parade grand marshal with her husband, Ron.

Ron Collins heads up security and sponsor signs, hiring from 10 to 16 law enforcement personnel for each performance. John Rogers supervises parking, irrigation and lighting while Curt Kallberg coordinates construction, food and contracts.

Bob Buckmann is in charge of grounds preparation before the rodeo and beer and outhouses during the rodeo. Starting in late spring, Saturday work parties of volunteers prepare the grounds to get them in shape after the long winter.

The area must be prepared, grass mowed, animal chutes repaired, fences painted.

“We have from 10 to 30 volunteers come out for each work party,” Buckmann said.

Ron Alexander is responsible for ticket sellers and takers at the rodeo, the annual poster, and the annual parade. Parade committee members Vicki Yost and Jeri Buckmann work with other volunteers to line up the more than 100 parade entries and judge entries for awards.

When each performance of the rodeo is over, there is a big clean-up job. Billybob Bruhns hires 30 kids, mostly from four 4-H clubs, to pick up litter before the next show. Besides receiving complimentary food, the clubs share a total of $500 for their work.

Putting on the all-volunteer Sisters Rodeo is a big job, but the several hundred volunteers all make “thebiggest little show in the world.”