Eat up!
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 years, 11 months AGO
Harper Carey and her bucking bronc charge out of the gate at the 2022 Cowboy Breakfast. The traditional kickoff for the Grant County Fair and Moses Lake Roundup, breakfast is served Friday morning.
CHERYL SCHWEIZER/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
Buck Brumet skillfully ropes his steer at the 2022 PeeWee Rodeo, part of the Cowboy Breakfast. Breakfast 2023 is Friday.
Key Club members serve up flapjacks at the Cowboy Breakfast 2021. The 2023 Cowboy Breakfast is Friday.
Sawyer Burress is skeptical of that whole steer roping thing, despite some help. He was among the contestants at the 2022 PeeWee Rodeo, part of the Cowboy Breakfast.
Charliegh Brumet waves to the crowd during the “Grand Entry” at the 2022 PeeWee Rodeo. The 2023 Cowboy Breakfast, which includes the children’s games, is Friday.
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | August 7, 2023 1:30 AM
MOSES LAKE — Following the tradition that any gathering of cowboys and cowgirls starts with a good breakfast, the annual Cowboy Breakfast is scheduled for 7-10 a.m. Friday in Sinkiuse Square. The breakfast is the traditional kickoff to the Grant County Fair and Moses Lake Roundup; the fair opens its gates Aug. 15, the annual demolition derby is Aug. 15-16 and the rodeo is Aug. 17-19.
The Moses Lake Kiwanis are the longtime cowboy breakfast sponsors, and co-organizer Ted DeWitt said the price for 2023 will be $12 for adults and $6 for children. The Kiwanis are getting help from Country Financial agent Jessica Cox, who’s paying for the food and music.
The cowboy breakfast being all about tradition, it features a traditional menu – biscuits, gravy and coffee, eggs and sausage. The Moses Lake Senior Center will be doing the cooking. Dana Dent is the breakfast co-chair.
“We have the PeeWee Stampede for kids 10 (years of age) and under,” DeWitt said. “Bring your kids.”
The children have their own version of the rodeo, with bucking bronc stick horses; being a very versatile breed, they’re also the horses for the barrel racers. There’s steer roping with a “steer” built from metal pipes, and the Little Miss Moses Lake Roundup. Contestants ride around the arena - the stick horses are perfect for that, too – and answer a question from the judges. Just like any rodeo queen, the winner receives a crown and a sash.
Proceeds from breakfast go to the Moses Lake Kiwanis chapter, and DeWitt said most of the club’s projects are focused on children.
Among their projects, the Kiwanis have supported the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Columbia Basin and helped children attend Moses Lake Parks and Recreation classes and activities. The club also gives out multiple scholarships, DeWitt said. The Kiwanis are part of a project to bring benches and picnic tables to Carl T. Ahlers Park.
The Kiwanis partner with the Moses Lake Rotary on a fundraising golf tournament, with the proceeds going to varied groups’ activities, including improvements to the city skatepark.
DeWitt said money raised by the two groups helped pay for K-9s for the Moses Lake Police Department and Grant County Sheriff’s Office. The Kiwanis also put their muscle into their projects, helping with litter cleanup in the past and helping seniors in need with weatherization projects.
“We hope to get a good crowd,” DeWitt said.
Cheryl Schweizer may be reached via email at [email protected].
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