More than 3,000 expected to attend Cattlemen’s Ball

Ken Cowan, M.D., Ph.D.

Having raised more than $2.5 million for cancer research over the past 10 years, the Cattlemen’s Ball has established itself as one of the premier fundraising events for the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center.

This year, more than 3,000 people are expected to turn out June 6-7 when the ball comes to the Niewohner Cattle Company nine miles northwest of Albion in north central Nebraska. Each year, the Cattlemen’s Ball is held to showcase beef as part of a healthy diet and to raise money for cancer research.

“The ball is less than two weeks away, but there are still tickets available,” said Ken Cowan, M.D., Ph.D., director of the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center. “I would encourage anybody who has never attended the Cattlemen’s Ball to check it out. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”

Top Hand tickets cost $65 and are available by contacting Wayne Boilesen at Cornerstone Bank in Albion. He can be reached by phone at 402-395-2151 or toll free at 800-933-3714 or via e-mail at wboilesen@cornerstoneconnect.com.

All the Trail Boss tickets at $300 per ticket have been sold out, Dr. Cowan said.

“Normally, they only sell 600 Trail Boss tickets,” he said. “This year, due to the high demand, they decided to sell 900 Trail Boss tickets. It really demonstrates how the community is coming together to support the event. It’s incredible.”

The theme of this year’s ball is “Bridge of Hope.” The theme comes from a bridge across Beaver Creek that was built by the Niewohner family.

Headlining this year’s ball will be a performance by Diamond Rio, one of the leading country bands in the United States. The six-man group features a bluegrass sound with bittersweet and edgy lyrics.

Country music band Diamond Rio will perform at the 2008 Cattlemen’s Ball.

The group’s first single, “Meet in the Middle,” made it all the way to No. 1 on the country charts — making Diamond Rio the first country group in history to top the chart with a debut single.

The group has gone on to achieve gold or platinum sales with each of its studio albums, while racking up 13 Grammy nominations and 15 consecutive Country Music Association nominations for Vocal Group of the Year — more than any country group in CMA history.

In addition, Diamond Rio has twice been honored by the Academy of Country Music and four times been named the CMA Vocal Group of the Year.

Two golf tournaments will kickoff the Cattlemen’s Ball on June 6. They will be held at the Albion Country Club and the Pawnee Hills Golf Course in Fullerton, Neb.

Cattlemen contributions Breakdown of money raised for cancer research at past Cattlemen’s Balls 1998 – Ainsworth — $95,000 1999 – Lexington — $140,000 2000 – Ogallala — $104,000 2001 – Valentine — $133,000 2002 – Valparaiso — $207,000 2003 – Ashland — $33,000 2004 – Brady — $174,000 2005 – Wisner — $595,000 2006 – Milford — $563,250 2007 – Lodgepole — $480,000 Total – $2,524,250

In addition to the Diamond Rio concert, other activities on June 7 at the Niewohner Cattle Company include auctions, a casino, an art show, a style show, a wine tasting and a sit-down beef dinner.

“We’ve gone all around Nebraska for the Cattlemen’s Ball,” Dr. Cowan said. “Each year, as new organizers take on the challenge, the ball always has its own unique feel. It’s really a special event.”

With the high number of tickets already sold, Dr. Cowan noted that this year’s ball could be one of the best ever. He said that more than $1.6 million has been for raised for cancer research at the last three balls, representing more than 64 percent of the total cancer research money raised over the past 10 years.

All the money raised will stay in Nebraska with 90 percent of the proceeds going toward research projects at the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center. The remaining 10 percent will be directed to health care in the Albion area.

“We can’t thank the people associated with the Cattlemen’s Ball enough,” he said. “It has become ‘the’ place to go for the first weekend in June.”