Brunner and Bruno represent Floyd County at Governor’s Charity Steer Show

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

Of the record $375,000 raised last weekend at the Iowa Governor’s Charity Steer Show at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, more than $22,000 came in for Ericka Brunner and her prize steer, Bruno.

“This was a good year for me,” Brunner said. “It’s an extremely high honor.”

This was the 16th consecutive year a Floyd County steer was represented at the annual show and auction. Both Brunner and Bruno are lifetime residents of the county, and Brunner is a recent graduate of RRMR High School in Rockford. She said she’s been raising and showing cattle since she was in fourth grade.

“I’d just like to thank all the people who helped me and contributed to this,” Brunner said. “The people in Floyd County are just awesome.”

The celebrity paired with Brunner was Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike. Naig has been the Floyd County celebrity for the last several years, and Floyd County has been paired with the Ag Secretary since 2007.

“He is such a good guy,” Brunner said of Naig. “There were no open seats in that pavilion.”

Brunner said she was excited to see people from across the whole state of Iowa come together to raise money for the families in need at the Ronald McDonald House. Bruno sold for $22,250, and the list of sponsors, under the name of “Friends of Floyd County,” was enormous.

“Our small town really showed up for me,” Brunner said. “It’s such an honor.”

The 39th annual steer show raised $375,265.92, the all-time high. All proceeds will go to benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Iowa, with houses in Des Moines, Iowa City and Sioux City. The local charities provide a “home away from home” for families of sick children.

Since 1983, the Iowa Governor’s Charity Steer Show has raised over $4.5 million for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Iowa. This year’s show, held at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, showcased 24 Iowa steer exhibitors.

Brunner has received accolades for showing cattle at the Floyd County Fair, but said she was impressed and excited to be on the bigger stage at the state fairgrounds.

“That barn is amazing — they have it set up so nicely,” she said. “So many people are in that barn, it was packed shoulder to shoulder. It’s quite the deal.”

Ericka’s father, Eric, works for the Floyd County Roads Department while her mother, Janan, works at North Iowa Oral Surgery in Mason City. Together, they also manage the family farm, which has about 40 head of cattle. Ericka, who is attending Capri cosmetology school in Waterloo, said her parents come home and “work their butts off.”

Ericka also has an older sister and a younger brother.