Months of caring for steers and heifers will culminate in the Ponoka 4-H Beef Club annual show and sale.
Slated for May 6 and 7 the 4-H clubs look forward to celebrating 100 years of 4-H in Canada, said Laverne Holt-Klimec, a member of the beef committee. “We are going to have a great cake with a 100 years of 4-H.”
In the spirit of the centennial, Ponoka clubs will not compete against each other for best looking stalls but will work to celebrate the show and sale as one group. Members will show off their heifers and cow/calves on May 6 with the steer show and sale the day after.
The Beef Club is also selling its charity steer, Fuzzy, to raise funds for the Ponoka Food Bank. There are 700 raffle tickets on sale at $10 each and Encana is matching funds raised from the raffle tickets. “That’s really almost unprecedented and all of it will go to the Ponoka Food Bank.”
Holt-Klimec looks forward to seeing kids show off their animals and much of the money helps members support their school fees.
She also enjoys seeing nervous young members grow up to be leaders in their own right who help younger members with their tasks.
“Just the progression of how these kids turn into leaders,” she added.
There are 36 steers for the show and sale and raffle tickets can be purchased from any 4-H member, tickets have already been sold at the trade fair last weekend.
The clubs are also trying to raise money through coin collections; 4-H Canada wants to raise $100,000 for a special fund.
“The goal is you just donate your change and the funds will go to the 4-H Legacy Fund,” added Holt-Klimec.