GRAND ISLAND, NE – Until today, Warren Buffett was the wealthiest person to donate a pair of autographed cowboy boots for auction at this year’s Cattlemen’s Ball, the annual cancer fundraiser held in Nebraska.
Today, Buffett slipped to second place.
Officials with the Cattlemen’s Ball announced today that a pair of boots signed by Microsoft founder Bill Gates will be available for auction as well. Gates and Buffett, who are good friends and bridge partners, are ranked first and second respectively on the Forbes list of the world’s wealthiest people. Gates also serves on the board of directors of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., of which Buffett is chairman. Earlier this year, Buffett autographed a pair of boots for auction, adding “I love beef!” to his signature.
Gates’ signature is in silver ink on a pair of black Tony Lama cowboy boots. The boots were donated by Jeff Vinson of Farmers Insurance Group in memory of his mother, Nancy, who died of cancer.
The Gates and Buffett boots join pairs signed by other celebrities including Nebraska native Dan Whitney, better known as comedian Larry the Cable Guy; actor Kevin Costner; and country music artists Brad Paisley and Charlie Daniels. A selection of donated boots can be seen at the event Web site at www.cattlemensball.com.
Proxy bids for the Famous Boots Auction will be taken online beginning Friday, May 1, on the Cattlemen’s Ball Web site. The final auction winners will be announced at the ball on June 6.
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 University of Nebraska Medical Center Eppley Cancer Center, while 10 percent of those funds have been granted to local health care organizations.
This year’s 11th annual Cattlemen’s Ball will be held June 5-6 near Doniphan, Neb. The event will be hosted by Robb Feed Yard, the Platte River Whooping Crane Maintenance Trust, the village of Doniphan and surrounding communities. he 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.
The two-day event includes a variety of activities including an art show, wine tasting, casino, live and silent auctions, style show, cooking demonstrations, health screenings and a general store.
A Full Throttle Driving School at Hastings Motorsports Park and a golf tournament at Lochland Country Club in Hastings are among the week’s activities. The event is capped off by a concert by country music star Craig Morgan.
Tickets for the 2009 Cattlemen’s Ball are on sale at all Bank of Doniphan branches in Doniphan, Grand Island and Hastings. For ticket information, contact Stacy Bieck at 402-845-6565 or sbieck@bankofdoniphan.com. Organizers are also looking for volunteers to serve as “ranch hands” for several event activities. Interested people can contact Chris Sullivan at 308-380-7437 or sullyville@charter.net.
For information and regular updates, visit www.cattlemensball.com.
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 2,600 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.