Final donations have been tallied and an impressive $247,148 was raised by the Dean's Charity Steer Show for Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of Central Ohio, organizers reported Thursday.
Held Aug. 2 at the Ohio State Fair's Cooper Arena, the show far surpassed all expectations. "This wonderful event brings people together to celebrate communities, agriculture, and children," said Cathann A. Kress, vice president for agricultural administration and dean of The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) who serves as host for the event.
The event is focused on youth who benefit from the Ronald McDonald House, which is the sole beneficiary of the funds, as well as the 4-H youth who provide their expertise and steers for the event. 4-H is the youth development program of The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences through OSU Extension.
"Every dollar we raised means families can stay together only steps away from their hospitalized child during one of the most stressful times of their lives," said Kress. Each year, RMHC provides more than 82,000 nights of food and rest to families of seriously ill children. The charity steer show included 11 celebrity exhibitors, paired with media personalities, a 4-H member, and their steer. Everyone donated their time to raise money and compete for bragging rights in front of a large crowd of supporters.
Show winners were:
- Best Steer: Team Nationwide (Dale Minyo, Kirt Walker, and Madisyn Brandt)
- Showmanship Award: Ohio Farm Bureau Federation Team Bill and Ty's Excellent Adventure (Ty Higgins, Bill Patterson, and Rachel O'Reilly)
- Best Dressed: Team Jumanji's Speed-steers (Cameron Fontana, Rick Ricart, and Karissa Treadway)
- People's Choice: Team Milk Face Majesty (Angela An, Tom Feeney, and Owen Bailey)
And the new Grand Champion award for lead fundraiser goes to Team Nationwide (Minyo, Walker, and Brandt).
Hundreds attended the Steer Show event, while even more watched as the show was streamed via Facebook Live. Following the show, a "sale" followed the same procedures as a typical livestock sale, but without the actual transfer of livestock. Instead, all bids and sale proceeds were donated to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio.
Families and 4-H youth who participated in the 2022 show represented the counties of Clark, Fairfield, Gallia, Geauga, Highland, Muskingum, Stark, Tuscarawas, Warren, and Wayne.
Dee Anders, chief executive officer and executive director of RMHC, said "Everyone at the Ronald McDonald House Charities would like to express our sincere gratitude for allowing us to be part of such a special day. The funds raised from this event are transformational for the charity."
Nationwide was named a "Showman of Showman" which is bestowed upon donors of $25,000 or more. "Premiere Exhibitor" donors, who each donated $10,000 or more, include Nationwide; Ohio Farm Bureau Federation; and Telhio Credit Union; Tom and Debra Feeney, Safelite; Brian O'Mara, Belron Foundation; Cathann A. Kress, Ohio State CFAES; Ricart Automotive; and Ronald Wilheim. Money came from 379 donors with gifts ranging from $10 to $25,000.
The Dean's Charity Steer Show is coordinated by CFAES, the Telhio Credit Union, and the Ohio Cattlemen's Association, and is held in partnership with the Ohio Expo Center and State Fair. At the inaugural show in 2019, approximately $152,000 was raised. Due to COVID-19, no shows were held in 2020 and 2021.
Mark your calendars now for the 2023 Dean's Charity Steer Show set for Aug. 1.
Categories: Ohio, Education