An African safari, embryos from top-producing Angus females, a Timpte super hopper trailer, a fiddle signed by Charlie Daniels, a meet-and-greet with Clint Black — all sold by world champion auctioneers. It's obvious this isn't just any auction. The funds raised during this auction and several others held throughout the weekend of June 3-4 are going to fund cancer research.

Related: CBN plays critical role in cancer research

COMMON CAUSE: Each year, the Cattlemen's Ball of Nebraska draws more than 4,500 people to a different location in Nebraska. This year, the ball was held at the Lienetics Ranch near Princeton.

Ninety percent of the funds raised at this event — the Cattlemen's Ball of Nebraska — goes toward the Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, and 10% goes toward local efforts. The event, which has been held in a different location in Nebraska for the last 18 years, has raised more than $13 million for cancer research.

This year, the event was hosted by Trevor and Torri Lienemann on their ranch near Princeton. "I think I'm still in disbelief," says Torri Lienemann. "It was pretty amazing to see a small town pop up in our yard. It took about a week to put all the tents up, and it took less than a day to pack everything up." 

"We essentially built a small town for 5,000 people in our yard," Trevor Lienemann adds. "It went from an alfalfa field to a place that has electricity, food and vendor services, and cell reception. It was just amazing. It was the volunteers that made it happen."

CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH: The funds raised by the Cattlemen's Ball have played a critical role in cancer research, says Dr. Kenneth Cowan, director of the Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center.

COWBOY MONKEY: Whiplash the Cowboy Monkey herds sheep while riding his border collie steed, Boogie. Whiplash was one of numerous attractions to draw a crowd at the ball in early June.

Cancer is something that affects everyone, and it's the cause that unites more than 600 volunteers each year to plan and prepare for the event. This year's event took 18 months of planning and 45 planning committees — from grounds to interior and outdoor decorations to auctions to concessions to social media and publicity.

AUCTION TIME: Several auctions were held throughout the Cattlemen's Ball. They featured world champion auctioneers selling numerous items, including embryos from top-producing Angus females, a Timpte super hopper trailer, and a meet-and-greet with Clint Black. The funds raised during these auctions are going toward cancer research.

COUNTRY LEGEND: A concert by renowned country music legend Clint Black capped off the event on Saturday night.

The funds raised by the Cattlemen's Ball have played a critical role in cancer research, says Dr. Kenneth Cowan, director of the Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center. "The money they've raised, which is over [$13 million] in the last 18 years, is incredibly important for us to provide seed money in pilot grants for faculty that are already here, so they can generate new data they can incorporate into a much larger federal grant," Cowan says. "In the last 17 years, we've recruited over 150 new faculty into the cancer center, and the Cattlemen's Ball has played an important role in that."

At the Cattlemen's Ball, several people affected by cancer gave testimonials on their experience and the impact the event has had on cancer research.