"The Tombstone Vigilantes are a non-profit organization; they were founded in 1948, and incorporated in 1954, since their inception they have been dedicated to keeping the historical town of Tombstone alive through reenacting events of the era. Every member is a volunteer who selflessly gives of their time to not only keep Tombstone’s history alive but to raise funds for worthy causes.

Not only do the Vigilantes perform on Vigilante Sunday they also work with the Tombstone Chamber of Commerce on Ed Schieffelin Days, the Sabar Shrine Temple of Tucson for the Onion Festival, The Tombstone Lions Club on Wyatt Earp Days and Helldorado, Inc for the world famous Helldorado Days, as well as hosting their own special event, Vigilante Days.

As well as entertaining Tombstone on Sundays and during special event weekends, the group travels throughout southeast Arizona to perform their special mock hangings for various organizations and private citizens, the group has even traveled as far away as Tucson & Scottsdale. All donations raised during Vigilante Sunday, during private events and through private donations are then generously given to worthy causes throughout Tombstone.

In 2005 the Tombstone Vigilantes donated a total of $16,186.65 to various charities and organizations including, The Tombstone Marshal’s Office, The Tombstone Fire Department, The Schieffelin Hall International Players ,(S.H.I.P)., the Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, The Summer Recreation program, The Tombstone Small Animal Shelter, The Seniors Meals on Wheels program, the Tombstone Food Bank, the Renaissance Program, Friends of the Library, Friends of the Courthouse, Tombstone Restoration Commission, Tombstone High School, Walter J Meyer Middle School, Salvation Army for Katrina Relief, THS Booster Club, Ringo’s Golf Tournament, Adopt a Family for Christmas, to the City of Tombstone for Schieffelin Hall restoration, Arizona Western Heritage Foundation, and Naco Explorer Post #869, etc.

As in years past 2006 was a very busy days for the Tombstone Vigilantes. The group participated in the Tucson Rodeo parade much to the delight of the 1000’s in attendance, the Vigilantes also worked with the Tombstone Lions Club and Helldorado, Inc. to co-sponsor the Halloween Howl Haunted House. Once again, they also hosted the Tombstone Easter Egg Hunt, boiling, coloring and rolling over 2000 eggs along with passing out over 100 toys and dolls to the children in attendance which means every boy and girl took home a gift and during the holiday season they bought approximately 75 toys for the Toys for Tombstone drive. They also helped support the Senior Meals on Wheels, Tombstone Small Animal Shelter and the Food Bank of Tombstone through perpetual donations, and in 2007, the Tombstone Vigilantes are proud to be adding the Senior Citizens Center to that list.

As well as local donations the Tombstone Vigilantes also remembered the troops overseas and this past year the members sent 150 pounds of toiletries and personal items to the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan

In order to show the vast generosity of the group here is a breakdown of the 2006 donations;

 $100 - RINGO’S Golf Tournament – Summer Youth
 $250 - THS Booster Club Golf Tournament
 $100 - Big Nose Kate's Golf Tournament – Abused Women’s Program
$1,250 – Tombstone High School Renaissance Program
$1,800 - Seniors Meals on Wheels
$1,300 - Tombstone Small Animal Shelter
$600 – The Food Bank of Tombstone
$500 - Friends of the Courthouse
$500 - Tombstone Restoration Commission
$500 - Friends of the Library
$500 – S.H.I.P.
$500 - Summer Youth Rec. Program
$500 - Tombstone Lions Christmas Food Drive
$300 - Swings & Flag Pole Restoration (Final amount to be determined by Tombstone Public Works Dept.)
$272 – HYFC – Jr. Yellow Jackets
-------------------------------------------
$8,972 – Total 2006 Donations

For the past 48 years the Tombstone Vigilantes have been an intricate part of keeping Tombstone’s heritage alive as well as giving back to the community they love so much. We look forward to seeing all the good the Tombstone Vigilantes do during 2007.

If you are interested in making a contribution to the Tombstone Vigilantes please send to:

Tombstone Vigilantes
P.O. Box 144
Tombstone, AZ 85638"

The Tombstone Vigilantes are an all-volunteer non-profit organization based in Tombstone Arizona.  We founded in 1948 and incorporated in 1954 and have over 53 years of service to the community of Tombstone. Today, we are 136 members strong and growing.  Every December the group elects a Board of Directors, including but not limited to Chief, (President), Assistant Chief (Vice President), Secretary, Treasurer and three board members-at-large to govern during the up-coming year.

Over the course of a year, the Tombstone Vigilantes attend parades in Wilcox, Sunsites, Patagonia, Sierra Vista, Douglas and Tombstone, all of which promote Tombstone and the organization.  In 2006 we will attend the Tucson Rodeo Parade.

The Tombstone Vigilantes have been asked to help with Special Events sponsored by others, including:

Ed Schieffelin Days, Tombstone Chamber of Commerce

Wyatt Earp Days, Tombstone Lions Club

Tombstone Western Film Festival, Arizona Western Heritage Foundation

Tombstone Onion Festival, Sabbar Shrine of Tucson

Dragoon Days, Dragoon Women’s Club

Halloween Haunted House, Tombstone Lions Club

Halloween Evening, Tombstone Silver Club

Helldorado, Helldorado Inc.

Most of these events were supported with no financial benefit to the Tombstone Vigilantes.

During almost any given event, be it Wyatt Earp Days, Helldorado, etc., and including our normal Sundays, between 25 and 40 Vigilantes are on the streets of Tombstone, being photographed and talking to tourists about our town, its history and current events.

During events such as Tombstone’s Annual Vigilante Days Celebration, and the Western Film Festival, the Vigilantes setup a dunk tank with all of the proceeds going to the Tombstone High School Fighting Yellow Jackets Cheerleaders or the Fighting Yellow Jackets Girls Varsity Basketball Team.

The Tombstone Vigilantes have performed special shows promoting Tombstone and the organization in such places as Phoenix, Scottsdale, Rio Rico, at Tucson Electric Park, Old Tucson Studios, and Cactus Country RV in Tucson.

Our members who travel around the United States, either for work or pleasure, promote Tombstone and the organization by distributing business cards for the organization and explaining some of the history of our town and events, which have occurred or do currently occur in Tombstone.

The Tombstone Vigilantes have provided dinner shows for a delegation from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), while attending a conference at Fort Huachuca, a contingent of Korean Military Generals, Army Intelligence classes from Fort Huachuca, a group of under privileged kids from Cochise County, The Franklin Foundation and MENSA, just to mention a few. Most of these dinner shows have been break-even events.

We have represented the Tombstone Chamber of Commerce at Tucson International Raceway and Tucson Electric Park (TEP).

We entertain and promote Tombstone at least three times a year at Tucson Electric Park (TEP) before and during the Tucson Sidewinders home baseball games.

Some of our members do fashion shows and meet and greet the residents of the Prestige Assisted Living Center and La Hacienda Rehab Center in Sierra Vista. Other members provided safety demonstrations and lectures on the history of Tombstone to the Student Leadership Conference in Naco, and entertained the visitors to the American Red Cross blood drive in Sierra Vista at no cost to any of them.

Our members travel from all over southeastern Arizona, including Tucson, Sierra Vista, Benson, Rodeo, Hereford, Palominas, Sunsites, Mescal and Tombstone to entertain, support and promote Tombstone during our scheduled second, forth and fifth Sundays, as well as parades and special events without reimbursement for mileage, time, costumes, and weapons. We also have members that come from as far away as California and Illinois to attend these events when they can.

We were proclaimed "The Ambassadors of Tombstone" on March 3^rd, 1994 by then Mayor Alex Gradillas.

Our Hall is used by Helldorado, Inc, The Tombstone Lions Club and the Tombstone Vigilettes for board of director’s meetings, membership meetings, dinners, and other functions for which the Tombstone Vigilantes receive minimal assistance from the Tombstone Lions Club. It’s walls and shelves are adorned with hundreds of trophies, plaques and certificates of appreciation for competitions, parades, hangings, events, and events, just to name a few. Depending on the circumstances and the event, most of our hall rentals result in no charges to the renter. Our hall has been donated free of charge for wakes, and fund raisers of life changing events such as family crisis’s.

We were in town to promote Tombstone during Fox’s Good Morning Arizona Program and, the morning and evening weather reports from Tombstone by Tucson’s Channel 13, a CBS Affiliate, with no financial benefit to the organization.

Financially, we perpetually support the Senior Citizen’s Meals on Wheels Program, with the monies ear marked for Tombstone only, The Tombstone Small Animal Shelter, The Tombstone Food Bank, The Senior Citizen's Center, The Renaissance Program at Tombstone High School, and the Tombstone Easter Egg Hunt.

We have donated to the Schieffelin Hall International Players (SHIP), the Tombstone High School Booster Club, Arizona Western Heritage Foundation, the Tombstone Vigilettes, Walter J. Meyers Elementary School, Boy Scouts of America, The Salvation Army, the Tombstone Summer Recreation Program, The Vietnam Moving Wall, and The Aquarium Club and also assisted with the students Spain Field Trip through Tombstone High School.

In 2006 & 2007, the members set over 175 pounds of toiletries and personal items to the troops in Iraq and bought approximately 90 toys for the Toys for Tombstone drive.

As you can see, we are not only about financial help.