PENDLETON — The federal government’s massive federal COVID-19 relief package eventually trickled down to the Pendleton Round-Up, but it almost didn’t make it.

The Oregon Legislature’s Emergency Board announced Tuesday, July 14, it was allocating $24 million of federal relief money to music, cultural and community organizations that have been affected by the pandemic, including $375,000 to the Round-Up.

But according to state Sen. Bill Hansell, a board member, it took some lobbying for Round-Up to make the list.

When the Athena Republican reviewed an earlier version of the list, he was dismayed that Round-Up and other organizations in Eastern Oregon hadn’t made it.

“If you looked at it, it was pretty Portland centric, pretty I-5 centric,” he said. “And not a lot from out here.”

Hansell said he was aided in his lobbying effort by the rest of the Republican caucus and Mike Thorne, a former Pendleton legislator and Round-Up board member.

When the board finally approved the package, the Round-Up joined just two other organizations east of the Cascade Mountains in getting money.

Hansell said he’s happy that legislators were able to secure money for the Round-Up, but he also wished its allocation was more comparable to some of its western Oregon peers. For instance, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland received $4.7 million and Metro, the Portland area organization that manages the Oregon Zoo among other services, got $4.1 million.

In a text message, Round-Up General Manager Erika Patton wrote that the board of directors is waiting on the official award from the state to determine how to use the money.

After announcing the cancelation of Round-Up and Happy Canyon in June, the organizations created the Let ’Er Buck Cares Fund, a charity partnership with the Oregon Community Foundation to help raise money for the businesses and organizations affected by the rodeo’s hiatus.

While the Round-Up considers how to spend its share of federal COVID-19 relief, the city of Pendleton is going through the same process.

At a July 15 city council workshop, Pendleton Mayor John Turner said the city anticipates receiving about $500,000 from the federal relief package.

While some will likely go toward the city’s operational costs, which are taking a significant hit from the pandemic, Turner said he would like to see a good portion go toward business grants.

Through the Pendleton Development Commission, the council allocated $140,000 in grants to 70 Pendleton businesses in May. But because the money was sourced from the urban renewal district, only businesses in downtown Pendleton and the surrounding area qualified.

Although the council took no official action, the council seemed to reach a consensus that the city’s new business grant program should be backed by $250,000. All Pendleton businesses would be eligible, but priority would go toward businesses that haven’t received federal or local assistance yet.