WEATHERFORD —
In life, it’s hard to imagine things not being a certain way. Such as not having sweltering heat in the summer or a bowl of ice cream to close a good day ... or like the Weatherford Noon Lions Club not running the concession stands at the annual Parker County Frontier Days rodeo.
It’s obviously been a while since the Lions entered into the agreement with the Parker County Sheriff’s Posse to run the concessions. Even old-timers will tell you they can’t remember the year the agreement started.
Current Noon Lions Club President Derik Moore would simply say “many, many years” when asked. He said under the agreement, the club runs both concession stands, buying the food and then splits the proceeds with the Posse.
It, along with concessions for the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) event in July, is the club’s biggest fund-raiser of the year which he says goes right back into the community. He says it’s only fair with all the community support received by the Lions.
“The community comes together for us (during the rodeo),” Moore said. “It’s just great having the camaraderie with the public and being able to turn the profit back.”
Lions Rodeo Chair Tamara Peacock says the club actually ran the rodeo itself back about 1945. In 1947, the Lions transferred running the rodeo to the sheriff’s posse and gained exclusive running of the concession, Peacock said.
Peacock said the club gave back $15,145 to the community over the last year. Peacock, whose husband Blaine is a member of the sheriff’s posse and won the bull riding event 35 years ago, says it’s an all hands on deck event for the club.
“We have about 100 members in the club and everyone works anywhere from one to three shifts during the rodeo,” Peacock, who is in her second year as rodeo chair, said. “On Wednesday to Saturday nights, we need 25 to 30 club members family and friends to make it all work. It’s really fun.”
Trying to keep things local, the club buys its food from a local distributor, cups from a local restaurant and buys its butane locally. The club purchases exams and eyeglasses for those students who can’t afford it and also supports other organizations with the profits as well.
One of the organizations it helps directly is the Weatherford Blue Belles, who work the second concession stand of drinks, snow cones and cotton candy to earn money.
“They really run with it,” Moore said. “They go into the stands and sell items like at a ball game.”
After the rodeo monies are all squared away, Blue Belles members are invited to a Lions Club meeting where they receive their check, Moore said.
The Lions themselves will be selling a display of burgers, dogs, nachos, coney dogs, candy and more. “It is impressive,” Moore said of what will be available. “Some concessions have a set number of things. We have a huge variety.”
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Noon Lions concession money helps community
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