Calf-for-a-Cure to raise funds for cancer
The holidays are here, and while many are decorating trees, planning family celebrations and buying the perfect presents, others are battling for their lives due to cancer.
Since buying the perfect gift can be a daunting task, why not invest in a calf to round up a cure for cancer? The 2019 Cattlemen’s Ball allows people the opportunity to “virtually” purchase a calf right now with a $1,000 donation or feed a calf with a $600 donation.
Hosts Derek and Allison Sandman of Wauneta and Wayne and Chris Krausnick of Imperial are encouraging area residents to purchase a Calf-for-a-Cure. While some may not know anything about raising or feeding a calf, they can help in the efforts to find a cure for cancer.
“The calves are being fed at Stromberger Farms near Champion,” said Derek Sandman, co-host of Cattlemen’s Ball. “Our goal is to feed 250 head. Calf-for-a-Cure is a valuable investment because it allows those who participate to feel that they have a vested interest in the cause—fundraising for cancer research,” he said.
All calves purchased will be fed at the feedlot and then sold at market weight in April prior to the Ball, which is scheduled June 7-8, 2019, along the Frenchman Creek near Enders Reservoir.
In 2018, there will be an estimated 1,735,350 new cancer cases diagnosed and 609,640 cancer deaths in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society. The gift of purchasing a calf is a special way to honor a loved one, perhaps someone whom you have lost to cancer, organizers say. It’s a unique way to give to a cause near and dear to the heart.
Sponsors of a Calf-for-a-Cure will be recognized during the Ball. Their names will be printed in the program, and sponsors will be given a lanyard and special eartag of the “virtual” calf to signify their support.
Ninety percent of the funds raised from Calf-for-a-Cure, along with all other funds raised during the Ball, will benefit the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center in Omaha. The remaining 10 percent of proceeds will be returned to local southwest Nebraska communities for support of their own health and wellness initiatives.
All contributions and donations are tax deductible. Cattlemen’s Ball is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Those wishing to make a donation should contact Mick Cox at 308- 340-4332, Ryan Stromberger at 308-883-1426, Shawn Jones at 308-882-8690 or Derek Sandman at 308-883- 3978. The Sandmans and Krausnicks are inviting everyone to the Ball, which is not a dance and is not just for cattle producers, cowboys or individuals involved in agriculture, they said.
The Cattlemen’s Ball is an annual, elite event that raises money for cancer research, for promotion of beef in a healthy diet and for promotion of “The Good Life” in rural Nebraska.
Tickets will go on sale Jan. 1, 2019, but can be purchased ahead of time for Christmas gifts. Ticket sales will be handled at Western State Bank (soon to be Sandhills State Bank) in Wauneta with Joey Large, Box 9, Wauneta, NE 69045.
For more information about the 2019 Cattlemen’s Ball, visit cattlemensball.com or the Cattlemen’s Ball Facebook page.