Whether they’re preparing food, selling tickets, ushering fans, parking cars or helping with the production, volunteers are a vital part of the Will Rogers Stampede. It’s a rewarding and celebratory time for those who donate their time and talents to Claremore’s rodeo.

 

CLAREMORE, Okla. – One of Karen Hanson’s first duties as a volunteer with the Will Rogers Stampede was to get a handle on the parking situation.

“Erin (Pegorsch) just asked me to help out, and the committee was very warm and inviting,” said Hanson, now in her fifth year helping with Claremore’s rodeo, which will have paid performances at 8 p.m. Friday, May 22-Sunday, May 24, at RCB Bank Arena in Stampede Park at Claremore. Gates open at 6 p.m., with mutton bustin’ and other entertainment beginning at 7 p.m.

“I had attended the rodeo prior to volunteering and loved it, and I could quickly see the need to streamline how parking was handled. I saw an opportunity to make the parking lot flow better. When Erin asked me if I minded overseeing the parking lot, I was like, ‘I’d love to, but do you mind if I change it up a bit?’ I’m used Disneyland parking, where everybody faces one way.”

It worked, and it’s been working ever since. Hanson brought a little bit of California with her when she and her family moved to Claremore a few years ago.

“When we were in Southern California, I felt like a fish out of water,” she said. “We wanted a different life than California. I wanted our girls to have opportunities to be able to have animals and run free.

“We looked at many different places like Idaho, Tennessee and Texas. One of my husband’s best friends moved here eight years ago and said we needed to come here. By the grace of God, we fell in love with the place. Now, I have animals: horses and goats and barn cats … the whole shebang.”

She also volunteers her time plenty, and her role with the rodeo is vital. Hanson is the volunteer coordinator, overseeing dozens of others who donate their time and talents to one of the biggest annual events in Rogers County.

“We have organized our volunteer base to cover all of our needs: parking lot, seat ushers, special-section seating attendants and ticket booths,” Hanson said. “We’re still looking for volunteers. If anyone is interested, we’ll find the right duty for them.”

That includes the addition of parking attendants for the Clem McSpadden Tub Handle Classic, the richest steer roping rodeo in Oklahoma that begins at 2 p.m. Thursday, May 21. There will also be needs for more parking attendants during the evening performances that follow.

“Thursday’s volunteer schedule is during the day because we have barrel racing slack and steer roping event, and it gets pretty busy that day, too.”

The Clem McSpadden’s Tub Handle Classic will begin at 2 p.m. Thursday, May 21, and will feature dozens of the top steer ropers in ProRodeo. It’s become a must-see event, but it’s just the first of four straight days of competition in Claremore.

It takes a village to produce an event of this magnitude. Not only will there be hundreds of cowboys and cowgirls converging on northeastern Oklahoma, but fans from all over the area are going to flock to town.

“It might be hard to believe, but the Will Rogers Stampede Rodeo has people from Montana, Utah, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, Australia, England, The Netherlands, Japan and German,” Pegorsch said.

That’s why rodeo organizers are always on the lookout for people willing to invest their time and energy into the program.

“We have a handful of local youth groups volunteering their time, and we are always open to more groups willing to join them,” she said. “This is a growing experience, a growing environment, and we are spreading our wings this year. We’re going to be doing fireworks after the Friday, Saturday and Sunday performances, and we will have Trett Charles performing in the arena in concert after the fireworks Saturday. We haven’t had a concert for many years.

“We’re always looking for more volunteers. It’s work for us, but I think we get more out of it than anyone could imagine. When we get together for our rodeo meetings, it’s like sitting at the table on Thanksgiving with your family.”

The goal for the organization is to produce the best rodeo possible. It’s a mix of world-class competition and family-friendly entertainment. Community members with a giving heart become valuable pieces to this annual puzzle.

“I think the 80th anniversary of the Will Rogers Stampede is going to be an incredible experience,” Hanson said. “We try to improve something from year to year, and our improvements and new offerings are big this year. It’s setting us and our spectators up for something great.”