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Final donations have been tallied and once again, goals were exceeded as $172,709 was raised by the Dean’s Charity Steer Show for Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of Central Ohio.

Held August 1 at the Ohio State Fair’s Voinovich Livestock & Trade Center, the show supported Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio while bringing people together to celebrate communities, agriculture, and children. 

The event is focused on youth who benefit from the Ronald McDonald House, as well as the 4-H youth who provide their expertise and steers for the event. 4-H is the youth development program of The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) through OSU Extension.

“The Dean’s Charity Steer Show was such a special day for us,” said Dee Anders, CEO and executive director of the Columbus RMHC. “We are humbled by the outpouring of support from all of the celebrities, media, sponsors, donors, and attendees. The funds raised from this event are transformational for the charity which provides more than 82,000 nights of food and rest to families of seriously ill children.”

Located across the street from Nationwide Children’s Hospital, the Columbus Ronald McDonald House is undergoing a major expansion, more than doubling the size of the facility. Once completed in November, it will be the largest Ronald McDonald House in the world.

“I’m very proud of how our community comes together each year to celebrate agriculture and children,” said Cathann A. Kress, Ohio State vice president for agricultural administration and dean of CFAES. “Our 4-H youth take a lead role with their livestock, while the money raised from our supporters, teams, and donors make a significant difference for families who need to stay near their hospitalized child during one of the most stressful times of their lives.”

The charity steer show included 10 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:

• Best Steer: Team McSteering All Together – with crossbred steer Mook, 4-Her Taylor Barton of Clinton County; and the McDonald’s team of Marshela McDaniel, Dan Aloi, Melissa James, and Tara Vorst.
• Showmanship Award: Team Burrow 4 the House – with steer Joe Burrow, 4-Her Connor Youchum of Highland County; and the NBC4 Columbus anchor team of Matt Barnes, Monica Day, McKenna King and Kristine Varkony.
• Best Dressed: Team CosMOOpolitans – with steer Cosmo, 4-Her Emily Scott of Portage County, along with Tammy Roberts Myers of RE/MAX Apex, Kimberly Flaherty of Washington Prime Group, and Timothy Flaherty of Post House Creative.
• People’s Choice: Team THE Buckeye Mood – with market heifer Tree Trunks, 4-Her Delaney Moore of Fairfield County, along with Melissa Shivers of The Ohio State University and journalist Tracy Townsend of WBNS-10TV.
• Grand Champion (lead fundraiser): Huntington Green Team – with steer Olson,
• 4-Her Mason Powell of Morrow County, along with Rich Porrello and Christina Brown of Huntington National Bank and Yolanda Harris of 10TV.

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

The 10 4-H youth and their families who participated in the 2023 show represented the counties and Ohio 4-H youth development programs of Clinton, Darke, Defiance, Fairfield, Highland, Morrow, Portage, Seneca, Stark, and Warren.

“Premiere Exhibitor” donors, who each donated $10,000 or more, include Huntington National Bank; Columbus Crew; the Telhio Credit Union; Ricart Automotive; Nationwide; and Cathann A. Kress, Ohio State CFAES. Money came from 312 donors with gifts ranging from $10 to $18,000.

The Dean’s Charity Steer Show, which has raised $571,867 to date, is coordinated by Ohio State CFAES, the Telhio Credit Union, and the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association, and is held in partnership with the Ohio Expo Center and State Fair.

The mission of RMHC is to create, find, and support programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children and their families. Located across the street from Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, the Ronald McDonald House serves as a home-away-from-home for families while a child is hospitalized. More than 4,500 families use the facility each year with 82,000 nights of lodging provided. It is also the largest Ronald McDonald House in the world with 137 guest rooms and 120,000 square feet of kitchens, dining areas, play rooms, laundry facilities, a meditation room, exercise room, and informal gathering areas.

Can you imagine what it’s like for a family traveling for childhood medical care? Or if you had to travel for care for your child for two or nine years? RMHC helps miracles thrive. To find out more click on the previous links or visit rmhc-centralohio.org.

The Dean’s Charity Steer Show is coordinated by:

The Ohio State University, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences

Ohio Cattlemen’s Association

Telhio Credit Union

The Ohio Expo Commission & State Fair

Thank you to all the team captains, team champions, and 4-H families for their time and support—it wouldn’t be possible without them.