Prineville, Ore. — Crook County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue volunteers are back outside Ray’s Food Place in Prineville Thursday and Friday for their annual sandwich fundraiser, raising money to support the equipment and training needed for missions throughout Crook County and the region.
The fundraiser runs from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Oct. 1st and 2nd, with volunteers serving breakfast burritos and tri-tip sandwiches for $15.
“Crook County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue will be at Rays today and tomorrow, serving yummy breakfast Burritos and Tri-Tip sandwiches,” the organization said Thursday. “Come down and grab a burrito or sandwich and help supporting us to serve your community.”
The event is also the final opportunity to purchase tickets for the organization’s annual raffle. Tickets are $20 each, with only 500 available, according to a flyer released by Search and Rescue. The drawing is scheduled for the end of the day Friday, and ticket holders do not need to be present to win.
This year’s raffle prizes include a limited-edition Braztech/Rossi Rio Bravo .22 LR rifle, a Rock Island Armory VR80 12-gauge shotgun and a Kimber Custom LW .45 ACP bundle.
The annual fundraiser is supported by several local businesses, including Ron’s Comfort Foods, Ray’s Food Place, Big Ed’s Bread, Phil’s True Value and Bigfoot Beverage. Ron Allen of Ron’s Comfort Foods has also been a longtime supporter of the fundraiser and helped cook tri-tip during last year’s event.
Fundraiser supports an all-volunteer organization
The event comes one year after the Prineville Review visited volunteers during the 2025 fundraiser, when Search and Rescue members explained how important community fundraising is to maintaining the organization.
Search and Rescue is staffed by volunteers, with specialized equipment and training supported in significant part through the organization’s own fundraising efforts.
Last year, veteran SAR member Karen Marcotte told the Prineville Review that members are prepared to respond at a moment’s notice to searches and other emergencies.
“We’re all volunteers. We’re not paid,” Marcotte said at the time, explaining that equipment, training and bringing in specialized trainers all come with costs that the organization must help cover.
“Every little bit helps,” fellow volunteer Marvin Briggs said during the 2025 fundraiser.
The organization says it is a fully volunteer nonprofit serving the Crook County Sheriff’s Office and the community.
Volunteers respond to searches, rescues and wildfire evacuations
The fundraiser supports a team whose work can range from searching for missing people in remote areas to rescuing stranded motorists and assisting during major wildfires.
Those missions are only a fraction of the work performed by the volunteers each year.
The Prineville Review reported in June on the team’s annual overnight training in the Ochoco National Forest, where veteran volunteers, K-9 teams and new academy members conducted realistic searches — including a simulated missing camper search beginning around 3 a.m. and another exercise involving four missing people. The weekend also marked graduation for the organization’s newest volunteers.
The team’s K-9 members have continued training as well. Most recently, K-9 teams completed three days of specialized training at Walton Lake, including shoreline detection exercises intended to prepare handlers and dogs for real-world search conditions.
Search and Rescue also plays an important role during wildfire emergencies, helping with evacuation notifications and other operations when fires threaten communities and rural areas.
That work has meant extensive deployments during recent fire seasons. The organization’s mission records show hundreds of volunteer hours spent on wildfire-related responses alone, alongside searches and rescues throughout Crook County.
The Prineville Review has also previously reported on SAR volunteers responding to stranded motorists in the Ochoco National Forest, including a January 2025 incident in which volunteers safely returned several people to Prineville after two vehicles became stuck on snow-covered forest roads.
Fundraiser continues through Friday
Breakfast burritos and tri-tip sandwiches are $15, with a $1 upgrade available for tri-tip sandwiches with onions, peppers and cheese.
Volunteers will be outside Ray’s Food Place in Prineville from 8 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday.
Friday will also be the final day of the annual raffle, with the winning tickets drawn at the conclusion of the fundraiser.
For those stopping by for breakfast or lunch, the money raised helps support the volunteers who respond throughout the year when residents, visitors and other emergency agencies need them.
Mr. Alderman is an investigative journalist specializing in government transparency, non-profit accountability, consumer protection, and is a subject matter expert on Oregon’s public records and meetings laws. As a former U.S. Army Military Police Officer, he brings a disciplined investigative approach to his reporting that has frequently exposed ethics violations, financial mismanagement, and transparency failures by public officials and agencies.
