SE: K-State's Steer-A-Year Program a ‘Great Tradition’ of Wildcat Generosity
May 15, 2018 | Sports Extra, Athletics
By Corbin McGuire
Powercat logos are scattered across a small farm just outside of Scott City, from the front door to the limestone rock in front of it to the trucks and trailers that drive down the gravel driveway.
On this particular day, April 25, these trucks and trailers travel to this farm were carrying 38 donations for K-State Athletics. The donations were cattle, continuing the K-State Steer-A-Year Program that started more than 60 years ago and has raised millions of dollars for K-State student-athletes.
"It's a great tradition," said Stacy Hoeme, who donated a pair of cattle this year with his brother, Kelly. "It's been here forever. It's one of those things you just do."
As Mr. K-State Ernie Barrett recalls, the Steer-A-Year tradition started in 1956. Barrett said he and his friend Richard H. Spencer, a graduate of the K-State's College of Veterinary Medicine, saw an opportunity in western Kansas to raise funds for the athletic department.
Somewhere along the way, the idea of getting K-Staters to donate cattle was brought up. So Barrett and Spencer traveled from farm to farm and feed yard to feed yard to ask for cattle donations.
They received puzzled looks and tepid responses by more than a few, but the pair eventually convinced a number of Wildcat faithful to donate. More than six decades later, many of those same families, along with others recruited along the way, are still giving cattle to K-State Athletics.
"It has been a great thing. We had so many people that really wanted to get on board," Barrett said. "We had women who were calling on their husbands and friends to make donations to the Steer-A-Year program because it just got bigger and bigger and bigger."
In the program's early years, the cattle would actually be shipped to Manhattan, processed and used to feed K-State's student-athletes. Now, for logistical reasons, the cattle are shipped together to Dodge City to be processed and sold, with the total amount sent to the Ahearn Fund.
"A small gathering of a few people in western Kansas has turned into a large endeavor for the university, as far as dollars generated to support athletic department," said Richard Spencer, whose father helped jumpstart the program with Barrett. "It's a little endeavor that turned into being a tremendous moneymaker for the university."
This year, the donations raised more than $63,000. The Steer-A-Year program has accounted for more than $400,000 over the past six years.
"It's been a good program. It's been a very good fundraiser for K-State and there seems to be a lot of pride in having a steer in the Steer-A-Year program," said Lon Floyd, K-State Athletics' retired assistant athletic director who helped run the event for nearly 20 years. "There are guys that aren't feeding their cattle anymore that actually buy them from feed yards, and they don't have to do that. They could simply donate the money directly, but there's a lot of pride in the fact they are a member of the Steer-A-Year club."
Floyd enjoyed the event so much he still goes out for it every year. And like any event that has gone on for more than 50 years, past stories come up whenever the group gathers again.
There's the time one of the donated cows broke loose and was running around Scott City.
"It was serious but it was like 'Keystone Cops,'" Spencer said, "everybody running everywhere looking for this steer that got loose."
Another favorite story stems from a since-retired part of the event, where a prize was awarded to whoever donated the steer that weighed the most.
"As all good things go, it got out of control, and we had one come in that weighed almost 2,800 pounds, which is about 1,200 pounds more than they are today," Floyd laughed. "They had kept it intentionally to win the prize of a K-State jacket. We called him Big Bubba and he came in and spent the day with us. We had fun taking pictures with him."
While these "remember when" stories add a comical flavor to the event, the Steer-A-Year Program has been an important fundraising arm for K-State Athletics. Like the annual Catbacker Tour, which started on Monday in Dodge City, the Steer-A-Year Program represents a major reason why K-State is one of only eight athletic departments to operate with no direct or indirect university and student funding or state support.
This self-sufficiency, made possible largely because of the generosity of K-State fans, is not lost on those who donate cattle every year.
"That's amazing. I was amazed when I heard that we're so self-funded, and we still want to raise money for (K-State). We still enjoy it," Hoeme said. "It's the pride of K-State."
2018 Steer-A-Year Contributors
Dr. Corbin & Mrs. Heidi Stevens
Dave & Jerry Marmie
C & S Farms – Chris Holovach
Sam & Nye Brookover
Greg Long
John & Joan Shirley
Kirk Grain - Chuck Kirk
Dr. Charles & Mrs. Pam Sourk
J O Cattle Co. - Larry, Matt & Bob Jones
Abe Nelson
Mark Coberly Partnership – Mark & Adrian Coberly
Steve & Theresa Mangan
Dr. Randy Norton
Scott Pro
John & Jennifer Fairleigh
Rey & Melissa Armendariz
Michael Trout
Greg & Karla Glunz
Terry, Jon & Nick Berning
Jim Weaver
Circle C Farms - Steve Compton
High Choice Feeders
HRC Feed Yards, Inc.
Crown H Cattle – Stacy & Kelly Hoeme
Randall & Nancy Schwanke
Jerry & Linda Kuckelman
Poky Feeders
Powercat logos are scattered across a small farm just outside of Scott City, from the front door to the limestone rock in front of it to the trucks and trailers that drive down the gravel driveway.
On this particular day, April 25, these trucks and trailers travel to this farm were carrying 38 donations for K-State Athletics. The donations were cattle, continuing the K-State Steer-A-Year Program that started more than 60 years ago and has raised millions of dollars for K-State student-athletes.
"It's a great tradition," said Stacy Hoeme, who donated a pair of cattle this year with his brother, Kelly. "It's been here forever. It's one of those things you just do."
As Mr. K-State Ernie Barrett recalls, the Steer-A-Year tradition started in 1956. Barrett said he and his friend Richard H. Spencer, a graduate of the K-State's College of Veterinary Medicine, saw an opportunity in western Kansas to raise funds for the athletic department.
Somewhere along the way, the idea of getting K-Staters to donate cattle was brought up. So Barrett and Spencer traveled from farm to farm and feed yard to feed yard to ask for cattle donations.
They received puzzled looks and tepid responses by more than a few, but the pair eventually convinced a number of Wildcat faithful to donate. More than six decades later, many of those same families, along with others recruited along the way, are still giving cattle to K-State Athletics.
"It has been a great thing. We had so many people that really wanted to get on board," Barrett said. "We had women who were calling on their husbands and friends to make donations to the Steer-A-Year program because it just got bigger and bigger and bigger."
In the program's early years, the cattle would actually be shipped to Manhattan, processed and used to feed K-State's student-athletes. Now, for logistical reasons, the cattle are shipped together to Dodge City to be processed and sold, with the total amount sent to the Ahearn Fund.
"A small gathering of a few people in western Kansas has turned into a large endeavor for the university, as far as dollars generated to support athletic department," said Richard Spencer, whose father helped jumpstart the program with Barrett. "It's a little endeavor that turned into being a tremendous moneymaker for the university."
This year, the donations raised more than $63,000. The Steer-A-Year program has accounted for more than $400,000 over the past six years.
"It's been a good program. It's been a very good fundraiser for K-State and there seems to be a lot of pride in having a steer in the Steer-A-Year program," said Lon Floyd, K-State Athletics' retired assistant athletic director who helped run the event for nearly 20 years. "There are guys that aren't feeding their cattle anymore that actually buy them from feed yards, and they don't have to do that. They could simply donate the money directly, but there's a lot of pride in the fact they are a member of the Steer-A-Year club."
Floyd enjoyed the event so much he still goes out for it every year. And like any event that has gone on for more than 50 years, past stories come up whenever the group gathers again.
There's the time one of the donated cows broke loose and was running around Scott City.
"It was serious but it was like 'Keystone Cops,'" Spencer said, "everybody running everywhere looking for this steer that got loose."
Another favorite story stems from a since-retired part of the event, where a prize was awarded to whoever donated the steer that weighed the most.
"As all good things go, it got out of control, and we had one come in that weighed almost 2,800 pounds, which is about 1,200 pounds more than they are today," Floyd laughed. "They had kept it intentionally to win the prize of a K-State jacket. We called him Big Bubba and he came in and spent the day with us. We had fun taking pictures with him."
While these "remember when" stories add a comical flavor to the event, the Steer-A-Year Program has been an important fundraising arm for K-State Athletics. Like the annual Catbacker Tour, which started on Monday in Dodge City, the Steer-A-Year Program represents a major reason why K-State is one of only eight athletic departments to operate with no direct or indirect university and student funding or state support.
This self-sufficiency, made possible largely because of the generosity of K-State fans, is not lost on those who donate cattle every year.
"That's amazing. I was amazed when I heard that we're so self-funded, and we still want to raise money for (K-State). We still enjoy it," Hoeme said. "It's the pride of K-State."
2018 Steer-A-Year Contributors
Dr. Corbin & Mrs. Heidi Stevens
Dave & Jerry Marmie
C & S Farms – Chris Holovach
Sam & Nye Brookover
Greg Long
John & Joan Shirley
Kirk Grain - Chuck Kirk
Dr. Charles & Mrs. Pam Sourk
J O Cattle Co. - Larry, Matt & Bob Jones
Abe Nelson
Mark Coberly Partnership – Mark & Adrian Coberly
Steve & Theresa Mangan
Dr. Randy Norton
Scott Pro
John & Jennifer Fairleigh
Rey & Melissa Armendariz
Michael Trout
Greg & Karla Glunz
Terry, Jon & Nick Berning
Jim Weaver
Circle C Farms - Steve Compton
High Choice Feeders
HRC Feed Yards, Inc.
Crown H Cattle – Stacy & Kelly Hoeme
Randall & Nancy Schwanke
Jerry & Linda Kuckelman
Poky Feeders
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