The East Helena Valley Rodeo Association (EHVRA) brought together cowboys, cowgirls and community supporters last month for a benefit dinner that raised more than $3,500, which will go toward the purchase of a new grandstand.
The Nov. 17 event at Eagles 4040 drew around 80 guests, some traveling from Helena, Augusta and Boulder to support the cause. The dinner of 12-ounce sirloins, baked potatoes, and salad sold out, and Eagles 4040 donated half the proceeds from its $20-per-plate event to EHVRA.
“It was a great night,” said Katie Bakke, EHVRA president since 2016. “A lot of the rodeo committee was there, and people came from all over. Everybody was engaged, everybody wanted to be there, and everybody wants East Helena to prosper.”
The fundraiser featured silent auction items donated by local residents and businesses, including Western-themed wall art, a charcuterie and wine basket from Board to Death Charcuterie, calendars from local rodeo photographer Mark LaRowe and signed memorabilia from Forrie J. Smith, who plays the old-school cowboy Lloyd Pierce on the hit television show “Yellowstone.”
The EHVRA also raffled off a cooler filled with top-shelf liquor and held a 50/50 drawing, in which the winner and the association split the pot. Winner Carrie Stenhjem donated more than half of her winnings back to the grandstand fund.
For the past two years, EHVRA has spent thousands renting portable bleachers from the Lewis & Clark County Fairgrounds to provide fan seating during their July rodeo weekend. The association has been collecting funds to buy a permanent, ADA-accessible grandstand with more than 1300 seats.
But the total cost is expected to be more than $350,000. “We have just about $105,000 toward that goal,” Bakke said, noting that donations continue to come in.
The association is also pursuing grants and exploring other funding options, though Bakke doesn’t expect the new grandstand to be in place for next year’s rodeo due to manufacturing and installation timelines.
EHVRA is also raising money for some new equipment, including a tractor and a water truck to maintain the arena grounds for events beyond their annual July rodeo.
“We want to use the grounds to provide a place for people to put on their own events, whether it’s a concert or other activities,” Bakke explained. “We don’t need to just have one rodeo a year.”
The EHVRA has also launched a fantasy rodeo initiative to raise funds. Participants pay $40 to virtually draft competitors at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas Dec. 4-13, then earn points based on their performance. The fantasy rodeo fundraiser had raised $1,500 as of Dec. 11.
Bakke, whose father was involved with the East Helena Valley rodeo before his death in 2013, grew up competing in barrel racing and goat tying. She took on a leadership role with the association to honor his memory and keep the tradition alive.
The East Helena Valley rodeo is held the weekend after the Fourth of July each year, with the in-county rodeo on Thursday evening and the main events Friday and Saturday.
The association meets the first Monday of every month at 7 p.m. in the VFW basement in East Helena. Residents can make donations to the grandstand fund at ehvra.com. A gun raffle fundraiser is planned for early 2026.