A Foothills area 4-H club has helped beef up the fight against COVID-19 in the Foothills.
The Longview 4-H Beef Club raised $36,000 through its annual donation steer auction on May 18 and the proceeds went to the High River and District Health Care Foundation’s efforts in handling the COVID-19 outbreak in the area.
Over the years, the club has raised more than $235,000 for the foundation.
It was a trio of Nanton area's Klys children, Loralee, Tannis and Tyson who raised River, the donation steer.
Loralee, 18, had asked club leader Stephen Hughes for the honour of raising the donation steer as a legacy for her years in the club.
“River is out of our own herd – he is out of my first ever 4-H cow Kesha when I was 9 and I was thinking this would be my last year and I thought we would use River,” she said. “All of the money goes to the High River Health Care Foundation and I took out High and left in River for the foundation.
“River was a great steer.”
This year’s auction was held online because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is usually held live at the High River Agricultural Society grounds on Victoria Day as part of the Little Britches Day.
River was purchased at the auction for $5,000 by John and May Lockhart, long-time Longview 4-H club supporters. The remaining approximately $31,000 was raised by club members.
The steer went into the auction weighing 1,315 pounds and he was 735 pounds dressed out – on the hook.
Putting the steer up for auction can be difficult for young 4-H participants who raise the animals for auction. This year, River had developed a bond with Tannis -- due in large part to Loralee having a cast after surgery.
Tannis said it was tough night when River was sent to the butcher.
Loralee said it is a hard lesson.
“I think more so when you are younger – you are learning to let go of them,” Loralee said. “Now that I am 18, I know it is a fact of life, knowing you have to let go of them.”
The Klyses can sleep easier knowing River is helping Foothills area residents.
The money will assist the foundation in helping the health-care community with the issues around COVID-19, said foundation executive director Michael Brown.
“When COVID-19 hit we knew there were going to be demands on our (High River General) hospital and health-care in general,” Brown said. “So we launched – not in a big way – a campaign to say local community people want to help out.
“We ran a campaign called COVID-19 Community Response, so the community could help out and we would direct their money to that.”
Some of those funds went beyond buying medical supplies. It went to help the morale of health-care workers in the area as High River had one of the highest COVID-19 outbreak figures in the province.
“When this really hit staff, morale and concerns was front and centre,” Brown said. “We’ve had 100's of headbands made to help staff who are wearing masks eight-hours a day.”
Other items included supplying scrub bags for staff as well as minor items such as providing treats.
The campaign also helped purchase an Ipad, Apple TV box and a large TV so long-term care residents on the second-floor – which was on lockdown – could see visitors.
“Most of the seniors on the second-floor can’t operate a cellphone let alone see a loved one on a cellphone screen," Brown said.
The program, called Virtual Visiting, has caught on across the province, Brown said.
He is amazed by the efforts of the Longview 4-H club over the years.
“They helped with maternity ward renovations, the OR equipment, the cancer clinic,” Brown said. “It’s a testament to the ranching community out there.”
The club received the High River District Health Care Foundation's Clifford and Louise Lougheed Award for Outstanding Philanthropy in 2017.
The donation steer program was once again helped by Cargill which provided feed for River and also made a financial contribution.
The auction will be part of the Little Britches festivities in 2021.
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