Charles City’s Quade, steer Max, part of People’s Choice Award-winning team at Governor’s Charity Steer Show

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

Taylor Quade of Charles City along with her steer, Max, and 2022 Iowa State Fair Queen Mary Ann Fox were selected by the crowd as the People’s Choice Award winner at the Governor’s Charity Steer Show held at the Iowa State Fair on Saturday, Aug. 12.

Quade and Max were this year’s Floyd County representatives at the charity show, and Quade asked Fox to be her “celebrity” showing the steer. Floyd County has had a steer in the show every year since 2006.

Proceeds from the annual event go to support Ronald McDonald House Charities of Iowa. Max was auctioned for $7,000 in the auction following the show, and Quade and the Friends of Floyd County raised an additional $24,102 that was donated.

According to the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association and the Iowa Beef Industry Council, which sponsor the show, this year’s event raised $501,000, raising the total since the event’s beginning in 1983 to almost $5.5 million.

All money raised benefits the three independent Ronald McDonald House Charities of Iowa, located in Des Moines, Iowa City and Sioux City. These three houses have served more than 55,000 families from all 50 states and 62 foreign countries, according to information from the event. Families from all 99 counties in Iowa have benefited from the Ronald McDonald Houses of Iowa.

Quade said she really enjoyed participating in the event, including being able to spend much of Friday helping out at the Ronald McDonald House in Des Moines.

She said both Gov. Kim Reynolds and Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg spoke to the exhibitors and talked about how important the program was.

Quade also said she was especially glad they won the People’s Choice Award, because that moved them up in the auction schedule and allowed Fox to be part of that before she had to leave to crown the new 2023 Iowa State Fair Queen at a ceremony Saturday evening.