by Nathan Boddy
Hamilton Mayor, Dominic Farrenkopf must have climbed out of the icy waters of his dunk tank hundreds of times during the Ravalli County Fair. Situated along the main thoroughfare, his sign declared, “Dunk the Mayor and his big mouth,” and offered chances to put him under: $2 for 1 ball and $5 for 3. However, For every ball hurled toward the target, money was being raised for one of the area’s important institutions.
Farrenkopf explained that typically, a nonprofit approaches him to inquire about raising money. “It’s kind of a first come, first served kind of thing,” he said.
At this year’s fair, Farrenkopf took the fall for Emma’s House, SAFE, the Hamilton Volunteer Fire Department, Special Olympics, the Bitterroot Humane Association and the Stevensville Playhouse. Other than the operational costs associated with the booth, maintenance and fair entry for his helpers, Farrenkopf donates all of the proceeds he raises to the entities he pairs up with. During their two hour periods, the nonprofits are able to distribute their own information and get good exposure while watching Farrenkopf make a splash.
“I’m getting a little cold here, as you can tell,” said Farrenkopf while preparing for his next two hour session in support of the Bitterroot Special Olympics. “I used to do three days,” he added, “but the cold water for six hours a day… the human body isn’t meant for that.”
Farrenkopf purchased the dunk tank with his own money after having rented one and liking the process. While the water can get chilly, he says that he still enjoys helping area nonprofits in their fundraising efforts.
“I’ve got to fulfill what the people expect,” he said, “It’s more fun than not fun.”
Despite the obvious chill of the tank, which Farrenkopf points out has to be continually refilled from a nearby hose, the mayor still does his best to fire up the will of those who would see him swim. Heckling passersby, Farrenkopf says that he is not above targeting those who can be persuaded to target him.
“If you’re a teenage boy or a grown man that’s not a senior citizen, I will heckle you to the point that you get mad,” he said with a grin. And while the mayor did indeed pester a group of Corvallis students, he pointed out that little kids, “pretty much get a guaranteed dunk.”
Although Farrenkopf has proven his deft for the fall, he was willing to share the position with Sheriff Steve Holton, who was scheduled to take his own seat above the water on Saturday. Holton’s department has been participating in the Man Up Crusade since 2018, an effort to bring awareness to domestic violence. The program began in Idaho after Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue had investigated a particularly violent domestic homicide. Donahue and his wife Jeanie decided to tie an awareness program to the western way of life by bringing it to the rodeo.
“We were the first rodeo in Montana to bring on the Man Up Crusade,” says Sheriff Holton. “Since then two more counties have come on board as well.”
Holton described the process for raising money for SAFE in the Bitterroot through the “Purple Night” at the Rocking RC Rodeo at the fair. Along with the help of sponsors, specific broncos and bulls are powdered with purple coloring before the ride.
“If the cowboy makes his ride, our crusade will write him a $200 check and he gets a belt buckle. If he doesn’t make it, all the money goes to SAFE.”
While much of the Man Up Crusade is focused around the rodeo, Holton’s own ride at the dunk tank Saturday was programmed for raising money for SAFE as well. When asked if his approach to coaxing ball throwers would use as much taunting lip as Mayor Farrenkopf liked to use, Holton responded with a smile.
“I’m going to give it a shot, but nobody can out-lip the mayor. You can quote me on that.”