Decades of serving up breakfast

In 1980, the fledging Sisters Kiwanis club started cooking Sunday breakfast for rodeo participants. The Buckaroo Breakfast quickly became a traditional part of the Sisters Rodeo for everyone: buckaroos, rodeo-goers, and Sisters residents.

Sisters Kiwanians do everything associated with putting on the breakfast. They built the breakfast venue that includes a fenced area, cooking pavilion, and tables. They purchase the food and do all the cooking. The bacon chefs start working at 3 a.m. High school Kiwanians, known as Key Club members, serve coffee, bus tables and performa myriad of other jobs.

The breakfast is a social event, providing lots of fun and an outstanding value. Pancakes are cooked on restaurant grills; eggs are prepared to order; bacon and sausage are plentiful; fresh-brewed coffee is poured at your table. And it's all-you-can-eat!

There's another perk: Come early to the Buckaroo Breakfast and you will get a great parking place for Rodeo.

Bob Grooney, a Sisters Kiwanian, speaks with authority because he has worked at every breakfast for 35 years and will be working this year. When asked to summarize the breakfast history, Bob replied "I remember all 35 years and 1.5 million pancakes."

The Buckaroo Breakfast is a fundraiser for Sisters Kiwanis; all proceeds are distributed locally to service organizations such as Sisters Park & Recreation District, Healthy Beginnings, Family Access Network, the dental van and many others. Scholarships are also awarded to high school students and local residents making a major career change. In the past 10 years, breakfast proceeds have funded more than $30,000 to Sisters students and organizations.

Kiwanians are preparing to serve 1,100 breakfasts this year. More than 50 volunteers will work to ensure a successful social event and fundraiser for the Sisters community.

The Buckaroo Breakfast is set for Sunday, June 14 from 6 to 11 a.m. at the rodeo grounds entrance. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children 4 to 12 years old, and free for children birth through 3.