Thanks to an outpouring of support from Hereford breeders, donors and friends, the Hereford Youth Foundation of America (HYFA) is proud to announce that an incredible $284,000 was generated during the 2023 Hereford Season of Giving. The results of this impressive annual campaign will make a lasting impact on leadership and educational programs like Faces of Leadership and the Junior National Hereford Expo as well as the National Junior Hereford Association’s Fed Steer Shootout. Breed research efforts and scholarship funds will also benefit from the Season of Giving as donations will go directly to work building all of HYFA’s pillars in the new year.
Robert D. Call Trust Gifted to HYFA
The foundation owes a great deal of thanks to our founding members as HYFA would not be where it is today without their foresight and passion for the next generation. One of those founding members, who led the charge to lay the groundwork in 2002 for today’s scholarship and leadership programs, was the late Robert D. Call. Bob and his wife, Dolores Call, Cushing, Okla., owned and operated CBY Polled Herefords and loved nothing more than supporting Hereford youth and watching them succeed.
In 2005, thanks to the generosity of Bob and Dolores, a scholarship in their name was endowed in HYFA. Since then, the CBY scholarship has been helping Hereford youth fund their college educations each fall. Dolores passed away last March, and with her passing, $125,000 was gifted from the Robert D. Call Trust to HYFA during this Season of Giving.
“HYFA has many fond memories of Bob and Dolores Call and this gift means so much to the future as we work together to carry on and honor the legacies that have built us. Bob taught me a lot about accounting and fundraising, and I still find myself going back to the Bob Call files as there is so much wisdom that he shared in his famous spreadsheets and fundraising plans,” said Amy Cowan, Director of Youth Activities and Foundation for the American Hereford Association (AHA).
In addition to serving as the first president of HYFA, Bob led the host committee in Oklahoma when the first Junior National Hereford Expo (JNHE) was held 25 years ago. “As we celebrate 25 years of the JNHE this summer, we will celebrate Bob and Dolores Call and all they meant to the beginning of HYFA and all that they mean to the generations to come.” Cowan added. Bob and Dolores were both active in the AHA and Bob served many years as the manager of the Oklahoma Hereford Association. He was inducted into the AHA Hall of Merit in 2010.
All donors were entered into a drawing for a custom American Hereford Association (AHA) branded chute, donated by Priefert.
We’d like to extend our congratulations to SE Lawrence Herefords, Avila, Ind., for being the lucky winners this year, and for giving to the Season of Giving for the past two years. All gifts, large or small, helped push the future of the foundation forward and grew on the pillars of scholarship, leadership, education and research.
A generous gift of $5,000 was made by the Johnny Winston Family. Special thanks to Johnny’s wife, Rose Winston, and daughter Mary Gray Winston, for helping HYFA build a scholarship to honor Johnny’s legacy from his 20 plus years of service to the members of the American Hereford Association and American Polled Hereford Association. Johnny served the American Hereford Association and American Polled Hereford Association for 20+ years, retiring in 1992. Johnny passed away in 2022 and all throughout his career had a passion for the youth of this business. His family has made this gift in remembrance of his legacy and to build a scholarship in his name.
The partnership that HYFA and the National Hereford Women (NHW) has had throughout the years has continued to make opportunities possible for junior Hereford members. The NHW helps support contests at the Junior National Hereford Expo (JNHE), as well as scholarships throughout the year, and recently launched a program providing travel scholarships to attendees of the Faces of Leadership conference.
For a second year, Cottonwood Springs Farm, Cedar, Mich., has joined the Hereford Season of Giving, with $15,000 to be unwrapped. Nancy and Tim Keilty have been generous supporters of HYFA since the beginning, creating the Cottonwood Springs Education Endowment and the Ball Foundation Scholarship. The Cottonwood Springs Farm Educational Endowment gifted by Tim and Nancy Keilty propels education to the next level with the sole purpose of providing support for educational programs at the annual Junior National Hereford Expo.
For the second year, George and Karen Sprague, Bar One Ranch, Eugene, Ore., have joined in the gifting during the Hereford Season of Giving. They are heavily supportive of the NJHA Fed Steer Shootout and created the Bar One Ranch Scholarship. The scholarship is given in memory of Ken Tracy of Split Butte Ranch. George Sprague has been steadfast in supporting HYFA’s scholarship program serving on the selection committee and helping lead the board as vice chairman.
Shane Schaake was raised on a registered Simmental operation in Kansas, while Melissa Grimmel-Schaake, alongside her sisters, pioneered their way into the cattle business as first-generation Hereford breeders on their family’s farm in Maryland. Both were active members of national junior associations throughout the duration of their junior careers and remain strong believers and supporters in youth livestock programs. Their gift is in partnership with the Grand Drive to 25 Campaign, celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Junior National Hereford Expo, focused on senior showmanship.
The Hereford Youth Foundation of America (HYFA) and National Junior Hereford Association (NJHA) work together to provide opportunities for our breed’s future leaders so that they may excel in their college and career paths, strengthening this industry and the breed. This year scholarships given hit an all-time high of $217,000.
The leadership pillar is helping build the best leaders in the agriculture industry and beyond. Through the annual Faces of Leadership conference and the BOLD conference, junior Hereford members, grow as individuals and are preparing to become the best version of themselves. Serving on the NJHA Board of Directors is a prime example of the leadership opportunities and life lessons that HYFA works to cultivate.
Through programs like the Junior National Hereford Expo (JNHE) and the NJHA Fed Steer Shootout, education is at the forefront to developing the next generation. In 2024 the JNHE will be celebrating 25 years of providing countless opportunities for development in and outside of the showring and the NJHA Fed Steer Shootout continues to provide invaluable industry education and real world cattle feeding experience.
The Hereford Research Foundation is a division of HYFA to support breed improvement projects outside the scope of the American Hereford Association budget. The National Reference Sire Program (NRSP) is the backbone of many Hereford research efforts and extensive time and resources are spent each year to enhance beef cattle production through various ongoing projects.
From Dec. 8-12, 2023, generous donors provided various challenge donations, and each gift, no matter the amount, goes towards unlocking these challenge values throughout the week. In this second year, HYFA was able to raise $284,000 to go towards it’s pillars of scholarship, leadership, education and research. All donors were also entered into a giveaway for a custom Hereford branded Priefert cattle chute. This years lucky winner was SE Lawrence Herefords, Avila, Ind.