INNISFAIL – Mayor Jean Barclay had a special heartfelt message to offer on May 26.
She was at the Innisfail Auction Mart to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Knee Hill Valley 4-H Beef Club, an event that coincides with the club’s 2025 Achievement Day and Annual Show & Sale.
The double event is close to the mayor’s heart, as she grew up east of Innisfail in Knee Hill Valley.
“I was a farm kid, and that’s what I did back in the day, you were part of 4-H,” said Barclay, adding she was a member of the Knee Hill Valley 4-H Beef Club as a child and right up to her later teen years.
During the event’s presentations and alumni recognition on May 26, Barclay offered inspiring words for all attendees about how the club impacted her life, and most importantly for the Knee Hill Valley community she grew up in.
“The club teaches young people so many skills. On top of that list is the philanthropic aspect of 4-H,” said Barclay, noting more than $75,000 had been raised by the club since 2021 to worthy Innisfail organizations.
“With the people I grew up with it was a very special community. It was neighbours helping neighbours.”
On that philanthropic aspect, the evening culminated with the announcement that $20,000 had been raised through the 2025 Charity Steer Bell Ringer auction.
A cheque in that amount was then presented to the Alberta Cancer Foundation – Breast Health.
Meredith Hoar, a club general leader, pointed out that ringing a bell is a widely recognized ritual in cancer treatment centres that typically marks the end of chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
“It is significant to our cancer fundraiser,” said Hoar, who was equally pleased to go over the enviable 75-year history of her 4-H club. “We've got original paperwork here from the application of the first 4-H club. The first leader was Norman Smith.
“I believe it was the first one (club) in the Innisfail area.”
Over the 75 years, it is estimated that at “least” 1,500 rural kids and more than 300 leaders from the ages of six to 21 have gone through the Knee Hill Valley 4-H Beef Club.
Currently, the club has 16 members and nine cleavers, who have been working since last year on market steer projects, carcass steers, heifers, two-year-old and three-year-old cow/calf pairs, and cleaver projects.
“This is a huge day. The kids work,” said Hoar of the effort put in for the 2025 Achievement Day and Annual Show & Sale on May 26. "They pick out their project in the fall, their market steer, and then they raise it all year round.
“They train it. They feed it. They work with it. They groom it, and all for this one day.”
Throughout the year, members also learned about public speaking, record keeping, marketing, judging, showmanship, grooming, nutrition and feeding.
“I honestly think the biggest thing that our kids learn from the 4-H program is the communication skills,” said Hoar. “Public speaking is one of the best tools we teach our children.
“That is what really sets them up for success, whether it's applying for that first job, whether it's having to write an essay, going to college, chatting with your teacher. applying for jobs and talking with a girl.”
And most importantly, members are also showed what it means to give back to the community by working on highway clean-ups, community volunteering and looking after the charity steer to raise money for local charities and causes.
“You learned how to be a volunteer. You were taught that sense of community,” said Barclay. “I've always said there's no life like growing up on a farm. For kids it’s such a great place to grow up.”
The following are the award winners from the 2025 Achievement Day and Annual Show & Sale:
• Grand Champion Steer - Keston Hollman;
• Reserve Champion Steer – Layne Sparks;
• Grand Champion Female - Keston Hollman;
• Res Champion Female – Colby Hollman;
• Grand Champion Heifer - Keston Hollman;
• Reserve Champion Heifer – Chayse Hollman;
• Grand Champion 2yr Old Cow/Calf - Keston Hollman;
• Res Champion 2yr Old Cow/Calf – Kaden Hollman;
• Grand Champion 3yr Old Cow/Calf –- Colby Hollman;
• Res Champion 3yr Old Cow/Calf – Austin Hollman;
• Champion Jr Showmanship - Austin Hollman;
• Res Champion Jr Showmanship - Layne Sparks;
• Champion Int Showmanship – Laramie Siemens;
• Res Champion Int Showmanship – Lincoln Hollman;
• Champion Sr Showmanship – Kaden Hollman;
• Res Champion Sr Showmanship - Colby Hollman;
• Champion Cleaver – Walker Hoar, and
• Res Champion Cleaver – Johanna Hoar.
