Agricultural News
All American Beef Battalion Fundraiser a Success Ahead of Holidays
Mon, 22 Nov 2021 21:29:22 CST
Over the last decade, the National Livestock Companies, in partnership with Oklahoma National Stockyards and the Oklahoma City Livestock Exchange, host a fundraiser for the All American Beef Battalion. After the COVID-19 Pandemic prevented the fundraiser from happening last year, everyone was eager to make it happen this year.
This year is the 10th anniversary of the partnership fundraiser at the Oklahoma National Stockyards. Jon Fort, senior vice chairman of the AABB, told Radio Oklahoma's own Ron Hays about Monday's event.
"This is one of our major fundraisers," Fort said. "We will finish up this year with about 425,000 (military members) fed" since the All American Beef Battalion began back in 2008.
The fund-raising event was held Monday, Nov. 22, 2021, as the Stockyards paused the regular Monday sale. The highlight of the fundraiser was bidding on a steer donated by 3C Cattle Feeders and the Clyde Runyan family of Mill Creek, Okla. The steer was bought and sold several times; each time, funds went to AABB. This year's event raised more than $55,000.
"Words cannot explain how much gratitude and how much these young men and women and their families appreciate it," Fort said. "When we are there saying thank you, they are also saying thank you. We have to say, 'no, this is about you guys.'"
AABB came to fruition through efforts by the late Bill Broadie, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1966 to 1968, earning two Purple Hearts. Broadie was also a fourth-generation cattleman and worked as a representative for Superior Livestock Auction.
Noticing a similarity in how media was portraying U.S. military members during the wars in the Middle East after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in 2001. Determined to not let younger generations of servicemen and servicewomen endure the same treatment many Vietnam veterans came home to; he founded AABB in 2007. On April 26, 2008, he and a group of loyal volunteers hosted the first AABB steak feed to members of the Kansas National Guard in Olathe, Kan.
Learn more about the All American Beef Battalion by going to their website.
Click on the LISTEN BAR below to hear Ron Hays and Jon Fort talk about AABB and this year's fundraiser, in partnership with the National Livestock Companies, Oklahoma National Stockyards and the Oklahoma City Livestock Exchange.
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