EASTERN STATES EXPOSITION DONATES BEEF FROM 4-H BEEF SALE TO LOCAL FOOD PANTRIES
A team of employees from Eastern States Exposition (ESE), headed by ESE President and CEO Gene Cassidy and Mayor Will Reichelt, gathered to donate beef from the annual 4-H Beef Sale at The Big E to local not-for-profit food pantries. Their tour on Thursday, November 21, included stops at The Parish Cupboard, Open Pantry and Friends of the Homeless.
The 4-H Beef Program is a longstanding tradition at the Fair, and the multiple day showcase culminates in the 4-H Beef Sale. During the sale, individuals and representatives from local universities, businesses and other organizations support 4-H students by purchasing the steers that rising agricultural workers have raised and tended to for more than a year. This year, ESE purchased the Commended Overall and Second Place Mediumweight steers.
“ESE exists to promote our region’s agriculture and industry. An important aspect of that mission involves the direct support of youth engaged in growing the cattle that feed our country, some of the best of which can be purchased at auction at The Big E each year,” said Cassidy.
“Today, we celebrate youth in agriculture by distributing their product to our local population in need. Annually, Eastern States Exposition’s Board of Directors purchases steers at the auction to help support West Springfield and Agawam’s Parish Cupboard and Springfield’s Open Pantry and Friends of the Homeless. We challenge other businesses and organizations to consider participating in the auction. Your support of this program is key to the future of our national food supply,” Cassidy concluded.
ESE prides itself upon its commitment to community betterment, industrial advancements, the preservation of agriculture and the pursuit of education. The 4-H Beef Program honors its values by supporting the next generation of farmers, and ESE’s time-honored custom of donating the beef they purchased to local food pantries to bring its mission full circle.