BELLE FOURCHE—Murder is coming to Belle Fourche this Saturday, October 17, and even the mayor is involved! But don’t call the police just yet. It’s all part of Chutes for Charity’s first murder mystery fundraiser. There will be many familiar faces taking on very unfamiliar roles for an evening of entertainment, all for a good cause.
Bordello of the Damned Murder Mystery is an interactive program where you won’t just watch the mystery unfold—you get to be part of the tale. The story takes place in 1880s Deadwood, and everyone is encouraged to dress in period attire. The event takes place at the Belle Fourche Community Hall.
Organizers have scheduled a full night of entertainment. The evening begins at 5 p.m. with a social hour and a brown bag bar, with a sit-down steak dinner beginning at 6 p.m. The Branding Iron Steakhouse will be catering the event. “Our actors will finish up eating, they’ll go to the back and our narrator will come out as everyone’s finishing eating. They’ll do the murder mystery—and it’s just casual—it’s not on the stage or anything. The actors are walking amongst the people, and we’re asking people to, if they’re interested, to dress in appropriate attire for the 1880s Deadwood brothel era,” explained Denise Adams, Chutes for Charity.
The audience is encouraged to be involved. “It’s interactive, so they get to ask questions. If they have a question about a clue or why did that person say this? It’s all interactive,” said Adams. If you end up solving the case? There are prizes!
The evening ends with a live auction and the conclusion of the silent auction. Both auctions are filled with items donated by local businesses and supporters.
Individual tickets and tables are still available for $70 in advance or $80 at the door. The tables seat eight for $525. And while it will be a fun evening full of laughter and camaraderie, it is all to raise money for charity. This is the main fundraiser for the Black Hills Roundup charity arm, Chutes for Charity. “But that doesn’t mean that it’s all rodeo or anything like that—we’re the charitable organization of the Black Hills Roundup. We help families regionally… after a life changing event,” explained Adams.
Chutes for Charity is dedicated to helping families and individuals rebuild after traumatic events. “So we’ve helped over 400 families since we started … Right now, we’re just under three-quarters of a million dollars [distributed],” shared Adams.
Anyone seeking assistance can apply to Chutes for Charity for consideration. “We do it through an application process, and then our committee discusses it and rates the application—we help when we can,” said Adams.
According to Adams, around 95 percent of their resources have gone to help with medical expenses, although they have helped in a variety of ways, including house fires.
Come join the fun. The murder mystery cast has been working hard to make this an exciting, fun event for everyone! “We’ve been meeting weekly for three weeks… everybody got their scripts early so they could read through it, get a feel and know how each person relates to their part,” explained Adams. “This week we’re doing one rehearsal on Monday and two dress rehearsals on Wednesday and Friday. The actors are having so much fun, we have a really good team.”
The community members taking part in the murder mystery are Michelle Evans, Cody Crago, Joan Gerkin, Cheryl Westland, Randy Schmidt, Colin Hanzli, Bill Hennessey and Dawn Newland. Bob Morris is the narrator.
This event replaces the annual Wine, Whiskey, and Bourbon Tasting Fundraiser. The price hasn’t gone up from that event. “The pricing of our ticket—we’re having a restaurant cater it, so they have to bring their whole restaurant into a new mini kitchen, and they’re charging us the very least amount that they can and everything else is basically donated,” explained Adams. “So far, I think we have spent less than $200 total to put the production on, because people are donating their own time, effort, and costumes and everything that we need—so that all the money [raised] can go back into the Chutes coffers.”
Support a great local charity that helps our friends and neighbors while having a full evening of entertainment along with a steak supper. Tickets and tables are still available and can be purchased from Cowboys Too! at 506 State St. or at the door.
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