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Spirit of Volunteerism
Why do the Round-Up volunteers turn out every year? The pleasure of participation, some say. Volunteers work on every aspect of the Round-Up, from directors to gate-keepers. It's been like that since the show started in 1910. Many of the volunteers have worked at their jobs 30 years or more, and 20-year veterans are common. "Without them, you just wouldn't have a Pendleton Round-Up worthy of its name," one long-time observer said. It's been estimated that volunteers work about 20,000 hours during the year for the Round-Up.
In 1931, Round-Up President Henry Collins spoke for the Directors in refusing an invitation to take the Round-Up to Washington, D.C. The thought prevails yet: "It would be necessary to take the whole city of Pendleton, people and all...For the Round-Up is not just a Wild West show. It is the product of...community spirit."
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