Floyd County’s Oak raises $32,308 in Iowa Governor’s Charity Steer Show

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

The Iowa Governor’s Charity Steer Show set another record over the weekend, raising more than $440,000 for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Iowa. In 2021, cattle producers and local supporters had raised $375,000, the most funds previously raised in the show’s history.

In addition to breaking another show record, the event this year surpassed $5 million raised since 1983.

Oak, the steer raised and exhibited by Luke Paplow of Nashua and shown by Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, didn’t place in the top four awards positions at the show Saturday at the Iowa State Fair, but the steer raised $32,308 in the auction, being sold to its sponsor group, the Friends of Floyd County.

That was the fifth highest sale price among the 25 steers sold at the auction this year, and marked the 17th year that Floyd County has had one of the 25 steers in the show.

Paplow, who will be a sophomore at Nashua-Plainfield High School this year, had more than 150 sponsors from the area behind him. The shirts that Paplow, Naig and their supporters wore Saturday had all the sponsors listed on the back, representing the wide community support.

The Iowa Beef Industry Council, Iowa Cattlemen’s Association and Office of the Governor of Iowa hosted the 40th Annual Iowa Governor’s Charity Steer Show.

Brian McCulloh, of Viroqua, Wisconsin, judged this year’s steer entries and picked Steer 15 as Grand Champion. John Lawrence, Iowa State University Extension & Outreach vice president, led the steer, Blue. Brady Werner, of Williamsburg, owned Blue and was sponsored by the Iowa County Beef Supporters.

Grand Champion Showman honors went to Gary Slater, Iowa State Fair chief executive officer, who showed a steer named Maverick alongside Paige Evans, of Ellsworth, and was sponsored by the Volunteer Boards of Iowa Ronald McDonald Houses Charities.

This year’s showmanship judges were Nancy Degner and Mark Fischer, both of Ankeny.

The Community Hero Award, now in its second year, showcased a steer exhibitor’s efforts to raise non-monetary donations for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Iowa.

This individual not only collected pop tabs and non-perishable items, but also gained 172,000 likes and shares on social media, raising awareness for the show.

The Community Hero Award went to Tucker Kilma, of Walker. Kilma worked with Jamie Henderson, Eastern Iowa Ronald McDonald House board president, and was sponsored by the Eastern Iowa Ronald McDonald House and Quad Cities McDonald’s.

People’s Choice, a crowd favorite, required steer teams to cheer loudly for their respective celebrity and exhibitor. Another steer named Maverick, shown by Clarissa Chun, University of Iowa Women’s Head Wrestling Coach, and Tate Nelson, of Nichols, received the loudest roar. They were sponsored by the Johnson County Cattlemen.

Gov. Kim Reynolds showed a steer named Benny, alongside exhibitor Maxwell Tiarks of Underwood.

“It is hard to comprehend the impact $440,000 can have for Iowa families,” Tanner Lawton and Casey Anderson, co-chairs of the Iowa Governor’s Charity Steer Show, said in a statement.

“This is a great achievement for every one of these teams. In the end, the compassion that all participants in this event show is what makes it so unique. The cattle industry is a tight-knit group and we band together in a time of need,” they said.

The Iowa Governor’s Charity Steer Show was started in 1983, by Gov. Terry Branstad.

Oak, the Floyd County steer, was purchased for $32,308 by:

• Jeremy and Jill Beukema, Friends of Floyd County
• Dan and Allison Staudt
• Jensen Construction
• Rausch Bros. Trucking
• Schultz’s of Stanton Township
• Floyd County Cattlemen
• Anonymous (3)
• Charles City Lions Club
• CropWise Consulting LLC
• CUSB Bank
• Farmers Win Coop
• Joe and Sue Paulus
• Kevin Zwanziger
• Mark Lenius
• Premier Exteriors and Repair
• Pro Ag Solutions LLC
• Soifer Family McDonald’s
• Terry and Becky Meyer and Family
• Trent and Jerri Dight Family
• Vision Crop Consulting
• Floyd County Fairgoers
• Matt and Tina Hoeft Family
• Dustin and Laura Howe Family
• Galen and Char Greenzweig
• Gary and Judy Denniston
• Rob and Jen Schmitt Family
• Rod and Amy Frascht Family
• Van Wall Equipment
• AMR Ambulance
• Burton and Edna Dietz
• CH Wilson Transport
• Chuck and Angie Staudt Family
• Dave and Barbara McGregor
• Eric and Jana
• Brunner Family
• Focus Real Estate – Heather Chambers
• Franzen Tractor Restoration
• Harrington Farms
• Harrington Sweetcorn
• Jeff and Kendra Harris
• Les and Amy Staudt Family
• Lyle and Dawn Staudt
• Mike and Brittany Paulus Family
• Mike and Jaime Naig Family
• Peters Excavation and Rental LLC
• Pro Cattle
• Ruzicka Show Cattle
• Scott and Tracy McGregor
• Terry and Tammy Wicks
• Tjaden Farms
• Trinity United Methodist Church
• Aaron and Laura Cunningham
• Bierschenk Farms
• Charles City Elks 418
• Daniels Auto Collision
• Edson Farms Inc.
• Eugene and Lloydene Brunner
• Gold Standard Cattle Co.
• Hickory Builders Inc.
• Jim and Rhonda Howe
• Joanne Flint
• Mike and Tammy Quade Family
• Mitchell Family Show Cattle
• Phyllis Huxsol
• Central Park Dentistry
• Elma Locker and Grocery
• H and R Lawn Care
• Iowa Cattle Marketing Coop
• Jeremy and Amber Deverell
• Joe and Brooke Peters
• Koebrick Farms
• M and A Chambers Farms
• Matthew and Madison Stille Family
• McRoberts Red Power
• Tom and Roxann Bjelica
• Adam and Hannah Staudt
• Bank Iowa
• Barlow Farms
• Barrel Me This
• Cedar River Ag Solutions – Andy Johnson
• Cen-Pe-Co Oil
• Cummins Farm
• Dan and Amy Assink
• Dan and Lana Miller
• Dan and Shari Bernholtz
• Darwin and Maureen Weiss
• Daryl and Jane Larson
• Dean and Sherri Lines
• Denny Kreider
• Dustin and Kelsey Uetz
• Edward Jones – Jeremy Heyer
• Family Community Credit Union
• Farm Bureau – Liz Enabnit
• Fidelity Bank and Trust
• Fingers and Toes
• First Citizens Bank
• First Security Bank and Trust
• Frances Earnest
• Hot Shots Billiards
• Iowa Northern Railway
• Jeannine Mills
• Jeff and Kerry Crooks Family
• Johnson Seed
• Jorgensen Family
• Kruse Angus Farms
• Lincoln Savings Bank
• Loras Aird
• Lou’s LP Co.
• Morton Buildings Inc.
• Nashua-Plainfield FFA Alumni and Supporters
• NLP Farms LLC.
• North Iowa Broadcasting Inc.
• O’Connor Farms
• Osage Cooperative Elevator
• Plainfield Welding and Repair
• Prairieland Chiropractic
• Rick and Jane Juchems
• Rod and Melissa Merriss
• S and T Collision Center and Auto LLC
• Stitches by Stille
• Swartzrock Implement Co.
• T and K Tractor Repair LLC
• The Mill Inc.
• The Optometric Center
• Tim and Laura Paplow Family
• Tom Barnard
• Troy Jaeger
• Unggoy Broadband LLC
• Willert and Son Farms
• William and Kristin McLeland
• Charles City Rotary Club
• Al and Cathy McGregor
• Brenda Dight
• Carol Hoffarth
• Cedar Valley Orthodontics
• Craig and Nancy Pogemiller
• Elaine Poppinga
• Greg Hennings
• Ileen Jerdee
• Jerry O’Connor
• Kelly Tynan
• Mark Kuhn
• Mike’s C and O Tire
• Murray Seeds
• Plainfield Veterinary Service LLC
• The Insurance Office
• Troy and Jill Stille
• Katherine Rodman
• Eric and Julie Mayhew
• Gene and Sherri Nieman
• Mark and Debra Bonzer
• Teresa Marth
• Bret Spurgin
• Larry Zwanziger
• Liz Muller
• Shawn and Jeanne Picht
• Tim and Patti Speas
• Chuck Meyer
• Travis Thomas
• Brayton Quade
• Dan Kindt
• Sarah Wiste
• Sandy Paplow
• Laura Avitt
• Larry Eichenberger