DONIPHAN, NEBRASKA — As one of the state’s biggest fundraising events nears, tickets are still available for the 11th annual Cattlemen’s Ball on Saturday, June 6, near Doniphan, Neb.
Top Hand tickets are $65 each and provide an assortment of activities, food and entertainment beginning at 1p.m. The ticket price includes:
• A live concert by country music star Craig Morgan
• A post-concert dance featuring The Nedwrecks
• A prime rib dinner catered by the Chances “R” restaurant
Tickets are available by contacting Stacy Bieck at the Bank of Doniphan at 402-845-6565 or toll- free 888-845-6565 or by email at sbieck@bankofdoniphan.com.
Trail Boss tickets also are available at $600 for two people. They include a Friday night social, a Saturday morning reception and brunch and other benefits.
“This is the first time the Cattlemen’s Ball has been in central Nebraska and we’re putting on a major party,” said event co-chair Deanna Bosselman. “People are realizing just how big this event really is – and how much fun, food and music they can have while supporting cancer research. Ticket sales are really taking off.”
Saturday’s event also includes an art show, wine tasting, casino, live and silent auctions, style show, cooking demonstrations, health screenings and a general store. Among the auction items are autographed boots from billionaires Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, country music artists Brad Paisley and Dolly Parton, and comedian Larry the Cable Guy.
Other high-demand auction items include a stock trailer, a guitar autographed by dozens of country music stars and other unique collectibles.
“Having boots signed by the world’s two wealthiest men has certainly led to national interest in our auction,” said Don Dietemeyer, event co-chair.
Interested bidders can see the entire list of items and also place an online bid for auction items by visiting the event Web site at www.cattlemensball.com. The Web site also outlines other fundraising activities happening on Friday, June 5, including a golf tournament and a full-throttle driving school at Motorsport Park Hastings.
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 event is 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.
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.