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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 5, 2015)
® BEHIND THE SCENES Sidesaddlers: Back row L-R - Tina Garner, Patty Blagg, Diane Coonfield, KC Brooks, Rose Mann, Patti Bohms, Beckie Roberts; Front Row L-R - Vivian Larsen, Millie Turner, Patsy Cratty, Yoshi Gay, Marguerite Maznaritz — contributed photo THE SIDESADDLERS The Sidesaddler’s Twilight Breakfast is the unoffical kickoff for Round-Up Y Story: Jonathan Bach ou may have seen the Main Street Cowboys’ partner group, the Sidesaddlers, make their way down Main Street at this year’s Umatilla County Fair parade, playing their signature cal- liope. Known for dressing up in purple uniforms and visiting parades and events around the region, the Sidesaddlers will host this year’s Twilight Breakfast at Stillman Park on Thursday, Sept.10 from 4:30-7 p.m. The Twilight Breakfast marks the unofficial start to Round-Up festivi- ties for locals and early-arriving visitors. At the breakfast, Sidesaddlers will serve up ham, eggs, pancakes and drinks to patrons, and will raffle off prizes from stores around Pendleton, said Sidesaddlers Vice President Rebecca Roberts. Proceeds from the event will be donated to charities in the area. While it’s no longer a requirement, Sidesaddlers have traditionally been the wives of Main Street Cowboys. Roberts’ husband, John, is the vice president of the all-men’s group. Roberts has been a Sidesaddlers for six years. Along with the breakfast, the Sidesaddlers help with the giving trees around town during the holiday season, said Roberts. They also helped with the rebuilding of Pioneer Park. Right now, the group is down in membership, though, with around 30 members, said Roberts. She said the group is always looking for volunteers — even those who are interested to learn to play the calliope. At the end of the day, the group is there to give back to the people around them. “We try to do what we can to help around the community,” Roberts said. PENDLETON ROUND-UP • EAST OREGONIAN • SEPTEMBER 2015 • 61
