Longview 4-H Beef Club Celebrates Success and Milestones
The Longview 4-H Beef Club not only recently celebrated a successful 2025 Show & Sale but they also celebrated some impressive milestones through their Donation Steer Program. One of the goals of 4-H is to give back to the community, the members and leaders of the Longview 4-H Beef Club demonstrate this whole heartedly. The High River District Health Care Foundation has been fortunate enough to be the benefactor of a Donation Steer for 13 years, in an effort to advance care close to home for their families, friends and neighbors.
The bar was set high this year with Club Leader Ross Lewis challenging the Members to raise $60,000 noting that if they reached that goal he would dye his hair. With the challenge on the table, Club members and their families went to work and by sale day they surpassed their target selling “Donny” for an incredible $61,110! Making this the highest amount ever raised through the program.
Club Leader Ross Lewis stated, “The members continue to support the High River Hospital through this program because it makes sense, it appeals to the community and they realize that a strong and thriving Hospital is important to their community. This is a great initiative on so many levels. While there is obviously financial benefit that comes back to support the Foundation, the other element is teaching these young people in our community the importance of philanthropy and of giving back to their community I wasn’t sure that they would hit $60,000 but when I saw that they were close I knew I was in trouble ” Members are encouraged to solicit the support from businesses and community members. Some Club members contribute directly out of their own pocket to the Donations Steer.
To top it all… the Club surpassed raising half a million dollars for local healthcare in total over the last 13 years! “Since joining the Foundation team in 2021, no one has surprised and delighted me more than our amazing youth from the Longview 4H Beef Club. I am in awe of their community leadership and caring ways. They are an amazing example of changemakers in Alberta and they can be very proud of their accomplishments.”
To recognize the Clubs amazing contribution to healthcare in High River and Nanton, a new family room is being created on Unit 300 at the High River Hospital that will be named in the Clubs honour. This surprise was unveiled to the Club at a recent visit to the Hospital.
Club Members selected the color RAINBOW for Ross’s hair to be dyed, and he went in the salon chair on June 10 and is now sporting a new hair color for the Club’s Annual Awards night.
The Club incorporated a Donation Steer into their programming a number of years ago. The “Donation Steer” program is truly a community project. It begins with the donation of a steer to the Club. The steer is entrusted to one of the club members, who takes on the task of raising the steer and preparing it for market at the Annual 4-H Calf Sale. Their duties include feeding, halter breaking, providing fresh bedding, bathing, and brushing to prepare him for the auction. 4-H families then work hard to gather donations from the community. The businesses and community members who donate collectively form the Eastern Slopes Philanthropists, who buy the steer at the Club's Annual Show and Sale in May. The giving continues as the group then donates the steer back to be sold again, and that money is also donated to the program.
The impact of their gifts has been realized by various departments at the High River Hospital, such as maternity, emergency, Community Cancer Centre, and Silver Willow Lodge in Nanton. Funds from this year will support the purchase of a Vascular Positioning System utilized in the Cancer Centre, Emergency and Unit 300. This system is used for placing a PICC line into a patient who requires long term IV medication, significantly reduces the number of pokes and eliminates the need to go to Calgary for the insertion.
Not only is this club developing well-rounded young people, their drive and commitment to giving back to the community is bar none. The Longview 4-H Beef Club and the Donation Steer program is a great example of the strength of the Club and the community that surrounds it coming together to make a significant difference.
THANK YOU to the following:
· Snodgrass Farms & Highwood Valley Ranch Beef, who donated the steer
· Markus Mason, who got “Donny” ready for the market
· 4-H members, parents, and families who collected donations
· Everyone who donated to the Eastern Slopes Philanthropists Group
· Transcend LLP & Foothills Custom Meat Processors - the final bidders!
