As hundreds of rodeo fans pull into the parking lots for the 79th annual Gerry Rodeo, beginning this Wednesday and continuing for four nights through Saturday, most of them will have thoughts of bucking broncs and bulls, daring cowboys and cowgirls, good food, and lots of fun. Few of them will give any thought to the tremendous amount of preparation by volunteers from this small town that makes this unique event possible.
Planning for the next year begins immediately following the close of the current rodeo as rodeo chairman Tom Atwell and his committee of about a dozen members meet monthly. Atwell, who has been a part of the rodeo since he was five and has been chairman for the past 20 years, says he loves his job even though it demands year-long work. One of his first jobs each year is to get approval from the Professional Cowboys Rodeo Association and the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association, a task that demands filling out multi-page applications. He then sends out approximately 140 information packets to potential sponsors whose support is so necessary for meeting the finances of the rodeo.
Atwell’s duties also include signing the specialty act, the announcer, a veterinarian for each performance, and 24-hour security personnel. He gives much credit to a sub-committee which oversees all the advertising, including radio and newspaper ads, roadside signs, along with posters and brochures and the production of the daily program sheets.
Overseeing the upkeep of the grounds is another of his chores as there is mowing, fence repairs, painting of buildings, electrical repairs, water system maintenance, bleacher repairs, and rototilling of the arena to assure good footing for the contestants and the animals.
Head chef Kyle VanAkin and his wife Britta are in their third year of overseeing the responsibility of producing the approximately 3000 dinners which will be served over the four-day event. He orders all the food items for both the dining hall and the concession stands which include, among other items, 4500 lbs. of beef, nearly a ton of potatoes, 120 gallons of corn, 150 quarts of cottage cheese, nearly 6000 rolls, and more than 8000 soft drinks.
One of Kyle’s big jobs is securing properly cured maple wood for the fires to cook the beef. He begins his day at about 5:00 AM by putting the beef to cook for about eight hours. He then will make about 200 quarts of gravy along with 90 quarts of barbecue sauce. Together, they oversee the volunteers who come each morning to “eye” and quarter potatoes and prepare the salads. They are assisted by approximately 35 volunteers who slice the meat, deep fry the potatoes, work in the serving line, and staff the dining hall. They see very little of the rodeo as their day doesn’t end until about 10:00 each night.
So, this rodeo, which began 79 years ago in 1945 as an event to raise money for the newly formed Gerry Volunteer Fire Department, is now the longest consecutively running rodeo east of the Mississippi. Both Atwell and the Gustafsons agree that the success of this event is due largely to the approximately 150 unnamed and often unseen volunteers who give their time and effort out of love for rodeo and their town.
This year’s celebration will feature more than 220 professional cowboys and cowgirls from across the nation competing for $50,000 in prize money. The rodeo itself begins at 8:00 each evening, Wednesday through Saturday, with the dinners starting at 5:00. The midway with more than 20 vendors also opens at 5:00. Additional information is available at the rodeo website www.gerryrodeo.org or by phone at (7126) 985-4847 or 1-888-985=4847.
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