Musical Chairs is a tame game compared to the Idaho version: Musical Saddles.
At the Spring Round-Up in Orofino, the rules of the two games are the same, until you get to the couples version. When the music stops men and women jump for the nearest saddle. They must get on with a member of the opposite sex and it can’t be the same partner.
“It gets pretty rambunctious,” says Elizabeth Smith, one of the organizers for the community event that raises money for area high school scholarships and people being treated for cancer. “It’s just a riot.”
Events start at noon on Saturday at Orofino City Park. The band Beargrass will play classic country music. There will be silent and live auctions, door prizes and raffles. Admission includes a barbecue rib-eye steak dinner served with Dutch oven potatoes and desserts. Children’s admission includes a hamburger or hot dog meal. Beer or wine will be available for those 21 and older for an additional cost.
At 2 p.m. the Clearwater Backcountry Air Ambulance will drop pingpong balls for kids. All kids will receive a prize but some balls will be marked for special prizes. The air ambulance will land for a demonstration and educational information. Three people will win a 30-minute tour over the Dworshak area that afternoon in a raffle.
Auction items include guns, guided trail rides, cabin stays, an Alaska fishing trip, art, jewelry and more. Dinner is from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. The live auction is from 5:30 to about 7 p.m. when the event moves to Orofino’s Ponderosa Restaurant and Brass Rail Lounge where Beargrass will provide live music for dancing.
The Spring Round-Up will take place rain or shine, Smith says. In case of extreme weather it will be moved to the National Guard Armory.
The event provides funding for yearly $250 “I Love Idaho” scholarships to Timberline, Orofino, Clearwater Valley and Kamiah high schools. Additional proceeds go to the nonprofit Cancer Assistance and Recovery Effort (ICARE). The 5-year-old program provides financial aid to people in Clearwater River communities who are actively receiving treatment for cancer. In its time the program has distributed $41,000 to 97 people, Smith says. “The need is so huge. We get requests almost daily. The only way we can keep this going is by raising funds.”
if you go WHAT: 13th annual Spring Round-Up WHEN: Noon, Saturday, April 13 WHERE: Orofino City Park COST: $20 adults, $10 children
