GRAND ISLAND, Neb. – Thanks to a generous donation by Tom Dinsdale Chevrolet of Grand Island, the Cattlemen’s Ball of Nebraska will be raffling a 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid.
The vehicle, which is the first of its kind to be raffled at a Cattlemen’s Ball, is valued at $56,500.
The11th annual Cattlemen’s Ball of Nebraska will be held June 5-6, near Doniphan, Neb. It will be hosted by Robb Feed Yard, the Platte River Whooping Crane Maintenance Trust, the village of Doniphan and surrounding communities.
The event’s theme, “Give Cancer the Boot,” reflects both the fun-filled spirit the event’s organizers have created and the seriousness with which they see their cause.
In line with the theme, this year’s ball will feature a cowboy boot auction. Several local and national celebrities, including Warren Buffett and Larry the Cable Guy, have signed boots that will be auctioned.
“The donation of a vehicle of this magnitude is truly spectacular,” said Ken Cowan, M.D., Ph.D., director of the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Eppley Cancer Center. “It speaks volumes for how people in central Nebraska are coming together for this year’s Cattlemen’s Ball. It has truly become a source of pride for communities to get behind the ball and see how much money they can raise for cancer research.”
The Cattlemen’s Ball of Nebraska, Inc. was established to promote beef in a healthy diet, to showcase rural Nebraska and to raise money for health care research.
To date, the event has raised more than $3 million for the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center, while 10 percent of these funds have been granted to local health care organizations.
The Tahoe has a wide range of features, including four-speed automatic transmission, electric sliding sunroof, electronic multi-zone climate control, rear seat entertainment system, OnStar Communication, Bluetooth and Bose Premium Speaker System.
A full listing of specifications can be found on the Cattlemen’s Ball Web site at www.cattlemensball.com.
Tickets for the raffle are now on sale for $100. There will only be 1,000 tickets sold. Tickets can be purchased by contacting Greg and Adrienne Baxter at gregb@tecattle.com or 308-384-9464.
The Cattlemen’s Ball also has finalized its catering services for the ball. The June 5 Trail Boss Social, which will be held at Babel’s Barn in Wood River, Neb., will be catered by Chartwells. The champagne brunch on June 6 will be catered and hosted by Saint Francis Medical Center; the Trail Boss brunch on June 6 by Hy-Vee Catering; and the evening meal on June 6 by Chances R Restaurant of York, Neb.
Entry forms are also available for the Cattlemen’s Ball of Nebraska Golf Tournament. The tournament will be held June 5 at the Lochland Country Club in Hastings, Neb. Registration forms are available at www.cattlemensball.com.
The Cattlemen’s Ball Web site is continuously updated as new information becomes available.
The UNMC Eppley Cancer Center is the only National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated cancer center in the state of Nebraska, the only NCI-designated cancer center from the Canadian border to Texas, and one of just 63 such cancer centers in the United States. One of the founding 19 members of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center brings patient care, biomedical research, and educational programs together to benefit cancer patients, their families and the public.
UNMC is the only public health science center in the state. Its educational programs are responsible for training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution. Through their commitment to education, research, patient care and outreach, UNMC and its hospital partner, The Nebraska Medical Center, have established themselves as one of the country’s leading centers in cancer, transplantation biology, bioterrorism preparedness, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, genetics, biomedical technology and ophthalmology. UNMC’s research funding from external sources now exceeds $82 million annually and has resulted in the creation of more than 2,400 highly skilled jobs in the state. UNMC’s physician practice group, UNMC Physicians, includes 513 physicians in 50 specialties and subspecialties who practice primarily in The Nebraska Medical Center. For more information, go to UNMC’s Web site at www.unmc.edu.