Pirate Treasure at the Roost

Lamar residents made a beeline for their oasis on Hickory Street for the second annual Pirate’s Party at the Buzzard’s Roost on Saturday, February 27^th.  The fundraiser for Lamar Area Hospice may become a durable, long-lasting event, given the number of people in attendance this year, most bedecked in some type of pirate gear with only a few swabs showing up in their civvies.

Quaffing their favorite beverage and stocking up on such pirate fare as chicken wings, pizza and calzones, the crowd enjoyed live music and dancing, a silent auction to benefit the local hospice group and a pirate costume party. Those who came without any nautical garb were obliged to pay a $5 fee at the door, but were also given a pirate scarf to commemorate the event.

Last year’s party, the first for Lamar, raised $9,000 for Hospice, not a bad take for what was an almost impromptu idea. Deb Pelley, the Lamar Area Hospice Executive Director, said it was great to see so many people show up and to be able to realize that much extra funding was a great asset to the hospice organization.  The idea was borrowed from an event in Telluride, about as land-locked as you can get, and Joe Malecki brought the idea to Lamar.

Rose Ann Yates said she and her husband, Bob,  were visiting with Joe a few years ago when he brought up the idea of the party. “He said it brought the people in up there and there was no reason why we couldn’t put it on here,” she explained.  Yates said about 35-40 local vendors donated their items to the silent auction, “We had some people from Springfield coming in with their items as we were setting up the auction displays late Saturday afternoon,” she added.  Last year’s event raised $9,000 for hospice.  As of Wednesday afternoon, March 2, Yates said the tally was up to $8,000 and more donations had been anticipated, so the final sum would be available by the end of the week.

By Russ Baldwin