As soon as the auctioneer uttered the word "sold" at the Saline County Fair, folks thought the funds raised for the Champion Pen of Rabbits were complete. But they were wrong. Fellow youth exhibitors from 4-H and FFA started offering portions of their sale proceeds to a young girl, a fellow exhibitor, who is battling cancer. In all, 32 kids donated nearly $2,900.

Haley Browning is a 10-year-old girl who belongs to the Town & Country 4-H Club and is fighting adrenal cortical carcinoma. Her mom wept at the outpouring of support for her daughter during this year's Saline County Fair. Wood & Huston Bank of Marshall had the high bid, with $2,500, on Haley's champion rabbits. Then, 32 buyers started calling out donations of $25 to $250. The total going to Haley ended up at $6,785: $2,500 from the bank's winning bid for the rabbits and $4,285 in donations. It is something many expect of adults in a small community.

But when 4-H and FFA exhibitors started adding to the total by donating part of their premiums to Haley, well, it tugged at her mother's heart. "That is when it started to hit home of how special it was," Dorrian Browning says, fighting back tears. "Honestly, there is something going on in our county when we raise kids like that."

Dorrian, a former 4-H'er and current Missouri State Fair rabbit show assistant superintendent, knows that for many exhibitors, money from the livestock auction is the only check they get after a year of working hard on a project. "Many of them use that money for the next year," she says. "For them to take it out of their project to give to Haley … that was big."

WANTING TO GIVE: Molly Malter shows her steer at the Saline County Fair. The 11-year-old from Malta Bend offered a portion of her sale proceeds to Haley Browning.

Kids 'just wanted to help out'
For 11-year-old Molly Malter of Malta Bend, it was an easy decision. "I decided to donate money to her because I don't like to see someone my age suffer like that," she says. "I just wanted to help out."

Molly and her brother, Tate, both donated from their livestock sales and gave it to Haley, a girl they only see once a year. They don't show the same animals. They do not attend the same school, or even the same 4-H club.

"I didn't know her that well," says Tate, "but she was part of our Saline County 4-H family. If someone is in need or hurting that bad, fighting this horrible disease, then I should donate something."

Haley's cancer diagnosis started out as a seizure last year. She was airlifted to Kansas City, where doctors found her kidney enlarged. After surgery, the family received the diagnosis of adrenal cortical carcinoma.

According to the American Cancer Society, adrenal carcinomas are very rare, affecting just 200 people per year. However, because it the number is so low, the real number is not truly known. The average age of patients with adrenal cancer is around 46, but it can occur in children.

Haley continues to fight. The third-year 4-H'er even took chemotherapy treatments during the fair. Still, she came and exhibited her animals.

LIFTING SPIRITS: Malta Bend FFA member Tate Malter, 15, hopes his donations to Haley let her know the whole county was rooting for her.

Tate shared how impressed he was with Haley's work ethic. "To go through all of the hard times she is going through, I had to do something."

Saline County 4-H members and FFA members from Malta Bend, Marshall, Sweet Springs and Slater all pitched in to raise money — but more importantly, to raise Haley's spirits.

"I hope she feels she has people in Saline County that are there for her," Tate adds. "That we will back her up if she needs anything."

You can follow Haley's journey on her Facebook page.

Editor's note: Saline County, you are what makes the Show-Me State shine. Actions like those shown by youth at your local county fair are taught in programs like 4-H and FFA, but they are nurtured at home. Well done.

As Molly and Tate's dad, Justin Malter, says, "You hear all the bad stuff going on in the country, and then you see something like this. It is pretty impressive. Sometimes it is hard to realize that there are kids in this country who are raised to do the right thing. It makes me proud to be from this county, this state and rural America."