Dean’s Charity Steer Show Raises Record $231,470 for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio-The Dean's Charity Steer Show has once again surpassed its fundraising goals, raising an impressive $231,470 for Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of Central Ohio.

Held on July 30 at the Ohio State Fair's Voinovich Livestock & Trade Center, the event focuses on youth who benefit from the Ronald McDonald House, as well as 4-H youth who provide their expertise and cattle for the event. 4-H is the youth development program of The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) through Ohio State University Extension. OSU Extension is the outreach arm of CFAES.

Dee Anders, CEO and Executive Director of the Columbus RMHC chapter, expressed her gratitude saying, "The Dean's Charity Steer Show is an incredibly meaningful event for us. We are deeply grateful for this year's overwhelming support from 4-H families, business leaders, media, sponsors, donors, and attendees." She added, "The funds raised will profoundly impact our charity, enabling us to provide 206 rooms every night for families with critically ill children."

Located across the street from Nationwide Children's Hospital, the Columbus Ronald McDonald House provides more than 82,000 nights of rest to families of seriously ill children each year. The facility offers a home-away-from-home for families dealing with a child's illness and hospitalization. The House offers lodging, meals, laundry facilities, an exercise room, informal gathering areas, and activities for families of hospitalized children.

The Columbus Ronald McDonald House recently completed a major expansion, more than doubling the size of the facility. Two new wings opened in November, making it the largest Ronald McDonald House in the world, with 206 guest rooms, a new kitchen and dining facility, new staff offices, and a community event room.

"I'm continually amazed by the generosity and spirit of our community," said Cathann A. Kress, Ohio State vice president for agricultural administration and dean of CFAES who served as host for the event. "Our 4-H youth lead the way with their livestock, and the funds raised by our supporters, teams, and donors provide crucial support for families during incredibly challenging times."

The charity steer show included 11 teams comprised of a team captain and team champion(s) paired with 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.

The show's awards and awardees are as follows:

1. Best Steer:Team CoverMyChan - with 4-Her Hayden Smith of Holmes County, and the CoverMyMeds team of Mike Cohn, vice president of network operations at CoverMyMeds, and media partner Daniel Wilson of In Ohio Country Today.
2. Showmanship Award:Team Partners for Ohio Agriculture - with 4-Her Kaylee Jennings of Clermont County; and the Partners for Ohio Agriculture team of Dan Wagner of Farm Credit Mid-America, and media partner Matt Reese with Ohio's Country Journal; and support from Nationwide and the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation.
3. Best Dressed:Huntington Green Team - with 4-Her Meredith Donnelly of Hardin County, along with Huntington Green Team of Maggie Ference and Christina Brown of Huntington National Bank, with media partner Yolanda Harris of 10TV WBNS.
4. People's Choice:Team Partners for Ohio Agriculture - with 4-Her Kaylee Jennings of Clermont County; and the Partners for Ohio Agriculture team of Dan Wagner of Farm Credit Mid-America, and media partner Matt Reese with Ohio's Country Journal; and support from Nationwide and the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation.
5. Grand Champion (lead fundraiser):The McJestic Jewels - with 4-Her Jack Stingley of Clinton County, along with Tara Vorst, Kelly Applegarth, Shayne Applegarth, Carrie Applegarth, Peggy Olson, and John Shade, of McDonald's, with media partner Robyn Haines of NBC 4, WCMH-TV.
6. 4-H Champion:4-Her Meredith Donnelly of Hardin County.

Following the show, a "sale" was held following the same procedures as a typical livestock sale, but without theactual transfer of livestock. Instead, all bids and sale proceeds were donated to RMHC of Central Ohio.

The 11 4-H youth and their families who participated in the 2024 show represented the counties and Ohio 4-H youth development programs of Clark, Clermont, Clinton, Crawford, Hancock, Hardin, Holmes, Jackson, Stark, Tuscarawas, and Wayne.

The Dean's Charity Steer Show, which has raised $803,337 to date, 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.

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