PENDLETON — The Pendleton Round-Up is a nonprofit that feeds an ecosystem of smaller nonprofits.

During Round-Up week, various community groups sell concessions, manage parking lots and cook meals with the goal of bolstering their own budgets until the next rodeo.

At several stalls across the concourse on Thursday, Sept. 16, young dancers from Jr. Jam Dance Studio performed short routines to entice attendees to buy soft drinks. Like many of the other vendors, Jr. Jam had been on the grounds since Sept. 13, when Round-Up week kicked-off its rodeo activities with Xtreme Bulls. Jr. Jam volunteer Julie Thompson said business was good so far.

Toward the center of the concourse, Pilot Rock Seniors were slinging Philly cheesesteaks as the start of the rodeo approached. Margaret Moffet, a booth volunteer and the mother of a Pilot Rock High School senior, said she hadn’t worked the booth previously, but from what she knew, sales were going well. Should the booth continue its success, Moffet said it would put the group in a good position to fund the high school’s senior class trip to a destination of their choosing.

Just a few booths down, Athena Christian Church anticipated it could set a record by the time the Round-Up ends on Saturday, Sept. 18.

John Gilsdorf, a church volunteer, said Athena Christian Church is the second oldest vendor on the Round-Up Grounds. They’ve long sold ice cream to fund their Young Disciples youth program, with the proceeds of Round-Up usually paying for the program’s entire annual budget. Gilsdorf said he was initially concerned that COVID-19 might affect sales, but business at the ice cream booth has been brisk.

“I think people are ready to get back to normal,” he said. “And who doesn’t love ice cream?”

When the Round-Up Association decided to cancel last year’s rodeo due to the virus, the rodeo association quickly pivoted to a new initiative: Let’er Buck Cares. The charity initiative raised nearly $1 million for organizations, groups and businesses affected by the rodeo’s cancelation, with a special focus on the community vendors within the Round-Up Grounds.

Many of the vendors said the Let’er Buck Cares grant they received was an important lifeline for them in 2020. But with the rodeo back, not every group was rebounding as strongly.

Every year during Round-Up week, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 922 takes over Stillman Park to cook up the Cowboy Breakfast, an event to offer locals and visitors some pancakes, ham and coffee before the day’s events. It is the VFW’s only fundraiser, and although the Cowboy Breakfast is back this year, Commander Clifford Smith said attendance was running below average the first half of the week.

Smith said one reason the Cowboy Breakfast might be getting less than the 900 to 1,000 people it sees per day is there were no exchange students visiting from Minamisoma, Japan, this year. He also was concerned about how forecasted rain might affect attendance Sept. 18. While it has the benefit of a picnic shelter, the event is otherwise all outdoors.

“It’s a gamble every year because of the weather,” Smith said.

With Round-Up attendance typically peaking Sept. 17 and 18, Smith is hoping business will increase the second half of the week.