The 2002 Cattlemen’s Ball will feature its first Cancer Hero’s Wall, with photos, poems and memorabilia of those who have fought cancer. The ball will be Saturday, June 1 at the Benes Cattle Company near Valparaiso, Neb.
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Trailboss ticket holders ($250) receive a champagne reception, commemorative gift, Trailboss brunch and preferred seating for the evening dinner and concert. Tickets are limited. For tickets call 1-800-666-8071 or send a check to P.O. Box 181, Valparaiso, NE 68065. |
A place of reflection, the Hero’s Wall will be in the Serenity Park area near the entrance of the ball. Everyone is invited to bring photos or memorabilia to add to the wall. Permanent markers will be available for attendees to add messages.
The wall will feature a poem titled “The Roses” by Marilyn Odvody of Morse Bluff, Neb. The poem is a tribute to a loved one who lost their battle with cancer. It also will feature a photo of Cheryl and Steve Fisher of Amarillo, Texas. Steve, a former Omahan and graduate of Burke High School, is a cancer survivor who was treated at the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center. The Fishers plan to attend the 2002 ball.
The Hero’s Wall will become a Cattlemen’s Ball tradition, returning each year. To have your loved one included, contact Ken Sabata at (402) 784-3154 or bring your memorabilia to the ball.
Additional event activities include:
- an art show;
- style show;
- horse-drawn wagon rides;
- live and silent auctions;
- celebrity team penning contest. Team penning is a timed sport in which three people on horseback herd three designated cattle into a pen.
- the Honky Tonk Tailgate Party Tour, a package concert tour presenting three country music artists.
- free screening for prostate and skin cancer provided by staff members from the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center, with the help of nurses from Nebraska Health System and the UNMC College of Nursing.
The hosts of the 2002 Cattlemen’s Ball include Ermin and Delores Benes, Dan and Kathy Benes and their families. Chairpersons for the 2002 event are Dr. Elliott and Lynne Rustad of Lincoln.
The Cattlemen’s Ball is held each year to showcase rural Nebraska, promote beef in a healthy diet and to raise money for health care research. The UNMC Eppley Cancer Center in Omaha is the primary recipient of this fund raising effort with 90 percent of the proceeds going toward cancer research programs at Eppley. The remaining 10 percent of the funds raised stay in the local area and are used for health care activities. The UNMC Eppley Cancer Center received $133,000 for cancer research from the 2001 Cattlemen’s Ball at the Thacher Cattle Company, southeast of Valentine, Neb.