Races start at around 1 p . m . The course begins at the Brandin ’ Iron restaurant and goes past the store , where they do a fire drill , taking different tape colors of toilet paper and placing it on a plunger in the right order .
“ Everyone has to get that roll of toilet paper and they have to run round and put it on and pick up another run around put it on ,” Willie explains . Each team member has to compete while one person remains in the outhouse at all times . The race then heads toward the creek and ends up back by the restaurant again .
Outhouse racers do receive a trophy which the family makes on its own . Willie jokes “ we didn ’ t have any money to buy any , so that ’ s what we did . After we made the first year trophies Troy insisted that that ’ s what we can do .” She calls the trophies “ labor intensive ” but like so many aspects of the Nemo Outhouse Races it ' s a village effort .
“ At the last minute , usually about the week before , we got neighbors again coming down , gluing little things on , helping me finish ,” she said .
The Shriners get businesses to donate prizes which people can buy raffle tickets to win . This money supports their organization . The School of Mines usually has a stand selling food as well , which helps support their cause .
There are also vendors selling snacks and craft items . People can buy alcohol and coffee as well . The Nemo Guest Ranch Brandin ’ Iron restaurant is also open for that day and that , along with any alcohol sold , is essentially the only income the family receives for the event .
All the behind the scenes people are volunteers and do everything from getting wood for fire pits to ensuring everything runs smoothly for all the day of the races .
Willie says her neighbors are still very supportive of the event .
“ We kind of have to work together . That ’ s the kind of relationships we have with most everyone out here ,” she said .
The Sayes look forward to races and note that while it ’ s part of their family tradition they say they host the event to support the Shriners and their mission of transporting children to hospitals for care .
“ It ' s local . It doesn ’ t go into the international Shriners thing . It stays local and it helps all these kids out ,” she said . Willie is unsure if the outhouse races are a family legacy . “ I ’ m not sure . We would like to think so . We ’ re still approached by a lot of different non-profit organizations that say , ‘ how much longer are you going to do it for the Shriners ?’ Basically they ’ ve been so good with us and helped us from our end , so as long as they need and want to , we ’ re gonna stay with them ,” she said .
Willie says the popularity of the races is something she never dreamed of , “ that it would be as big as it is … we ’ ve been very very fortunate .”
And when she thinks of how it began , with her cousin visiting from Mora , her own hometown , she says , “ to this day it still surprises me that this hokey little town that I came from put together something that ’ s really become a thing here too .”
To watch the Nemo Outhouse Races visit the Nemo Guest Ranch in Nemo , South Dakota on February 22 , 2025 . myblackshillscountry . com
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