After attending the season-opening high school football game in Spearfish, S.D., in August 2015, Anna Marrs, who lives on an Angus cattle ranch with her family, felt beef needed to be part of the game.

A few months later she approached the Spearfish athletic director to offer her suggestion, and approached the South Dakota Beef Industry Council (SDBIC) to seek grant funds. Several meetings later, Marrs’ efforts over the past year — and her involvement with the South Dakota Cattle Women — made beef a central part of the 2016 event.

Bridger Gordon, a Lawrence County, S.D., 4-H member, helped promote the Northern Hills Beef Bowl by posting game photos and scores, as well as beef trivia, to Twitter, Facebook and Instagram during the Aug. 27 game. More than 1,171 people were reached by the Facebook posts.

What was once the Northern Hills Bowl — a double-header showdown between four area high school football teams at Black Hills State University’s Lyle Hare Stadium — was renamed the Northern Hills Beef Bowl with sponsorship from SDBIC. It included several activities throughout the event to create awareness for beef nutrition and beef producers.

Marrs says her goal was to “showcase that beef producers are an important part of the community and that beef is great source of protein for athletes.”

The inaugural event was held on Saturday, Aug. 27, with a 4 p.m. football game pitting Sturgis vs. Rapid City’s St. Thomas More and a 7 p.m. game featuring Spearfish vs. Belle Fourche. A beef tailgate party featuring hamburgers, chips and a drink was held throughout the event, with support from Lynn’s Dakotamart and High Country Coca-Cola Bottling Co. The meal was a fundraiser for the four schools participating in the games.

The Beef Bowl logo

Additionally, beef trivia was announced throughout the evening with audience members winning prizes, and local cattle women manned a booth sharing beef recipes and nutrition information. During halftime of each game, area cattle producers were recognized with awards from the Meade, Lawrence and Butte County conservation districts.

Beef was also featured on the scoreboard with short video clips played showcasing ranchers caring for the environment, as well as sharing beef recipes. The football program included a coupon for a beef purchase at local Lynn’s Dakotamart grocery stores.

Lawrence County 4-H youth helped promote the Northern Hills Beef Bowl prior to and during the event via social media on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and through a website developed by a 4-H member.

In total, Marrs says the event was a win for beef, and she is already looking ahead to planning for next year’s Northern Hills Beef Bowl.

Gordon is a writer from Whitewood, S.D.