North Washington Rodeo canceled in wake of COVID-19
This is a breaking news report — to read the full article about the cancellation, be sure to pick Thursday’s Butler Eagle or subscribe online.Facing “way too many questions and no good answers” about the coronavirus, North Washington Rodeo officials decided to cancel this summer’s competition.For 60 years, the rodeo brought bareback horse riding, bull riding, calf roping and steer rustling every August, said Dave Hazlet, chairman of the rodeo committee. And for the first time in its history, the event is being canceled.This event was planned for Aug. 18 to 22.“We really hated to do it. There was a lot of things we wanted to make happen but the uncertainty was too great,” Hazlet said.Aside from providing entertainment, the rodeo serves as a fundraiser for the North Washington Volunteer Fire Department. As president of the fire department, Hazlet worried that even if virus precautions taken by the government ease up by summer, people would still be hesitant to come into close contact with others.Since funding for the event comes out of the fire department’s budget, Hazlet worried the department would be unable to recoup its losses.
This is a breaking news report — to read the full article about the cancellation, be sure to pick Thursday’s Butler Eagle or subscribe online.
