Community Service, you know I always wondered what that meant. I am a cattle rancher/ carpenters daughter and didn’t have much to do with the town life so community service isn’t something I ever thought about. I was raised to help your neighbors, elders and anyone who needed an extra hand, but still couldn’t understand what community service was. You just helped out where you were needed. Well long story short, I have helped family, friends and co-workers as much as I have been able. A couple years ago my dad passed and I found out he and Mom were lifetime members of the Toppenish Rodeo Association. Well of course I wanted to ‘help out’ in his and other family members honor, and this was something I could do at my time and pace. So I started going to meetings, and mind you I am not a meeting kinda girl, I am a ‘busy woman’ so my Mom says. I like to DO, not talk about it. Anyway the Toppenish Rodeo Association has had some financial difficulties and decided an annual fundraising auction was the way to go! Well the first year I helped with picking up donations, setting up donations for the auction, and even donated a few things, had dinner and even brought home a few treasures. My mom on the other hand went way overboard and it worked out so well, she donated 13 things, the auction was held on the 13th day of October and over $13,000 was raised. But I was just helping out, I still wasn’t sure what community service was.

Well. Lo and behold, a new foundation has been formed to help out the Rodeo Association with finishing up the big building and fixing up the grounds its called the Toppenish Fair Association and is a 501 (C) 3 which with all the legalize put aside is able to apply for grants and funds from our government.

I just wanted to let you all know, I am doing community service, I understand that tem now and am a member of this association. Don’t know how much longer that will last though, they are in need of just one more board member. Wish me luck! I just want to DO something, not talk about it, but if that’s where I am needed, guess that’s where I’ll end up. Oh and by the way we, Toppenish Fair Association, will be starting a membership drive soon and you may see my smiling face asking if you’d like to join too.