A new event that will celebrate Ohio agriculture, communities and children is planned for the 2019 Ohio State Fair. All proceeds from the inaugural Dean’s Charity Steer Show will benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio.

The show will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. July 30 at the Voinovich Livestock and Trade Center at the Ohio Expo Center and Ohio State Fair.

The event will be hosted by Cathann A. Kress, vice president for agricultural administration and dean of Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES). Kress took on her new role May 1.

“This will be an exciting event to bring together our community to celebrate agriculture and kids, both for our 4-H youth development programs as well as youth benefiting from the Ronald McDonald House,” Kress says.

Thirteen celebrity exhibitors, most of whom have no livestock experience, will not only show a steer, but also compete to see who can raise the most money for the Ronald McDonald House charity. Each exhibitor will be paired with an experienced 4-H livestock family and its steer, and practice with family members before entering the show ring.

Families and Ohio 4-H members will represent the counties of Athens, Carroll, Fayette, Geauga, Highland, Huron, Licking, Miami, Pickaway, Putnam, Tuscarawas and Wood.

Participating celebrities

Celebrity exhibitors, in addition to Kress, will include Matt Barnes, WCMH-TV Channel 4 anchor; Mark Berven, president and chief operating officer of Nationwide Property and Casualty; Bobby Carpenter, former OSU and NFL football player, and Anthony Rothman, both sports talk hosts for “Carpenter and Rothman” on 97.1-FM “The Fan,” Columbus; Jay Edwards, a small business owner from Athens County; Clay Hall, sports director for Columbus’ WSYX 6 and Fox 28 TV; Woody Johnson, host of “Woody and the Wake-Up Call” on WCOL-FM 92.3, Columbus; Clark Kellogg, a former NBA player and lead CBS Sports college basketball analyst; Rick Malir, CEO and co-founder of City Barbeque; Bob McElligott, sports broadcaster for the NHL Columbus Blue Jackets; Shelley Meyer, former first lady of OSU football and instructor for the OSU College of Nursing; Bob Peterson, public servant and eighth-generation farmer from Fayette County; and Adam Sharp, executive vice president of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation.

“Every dollar we raise means families can stay together only steps away from their hospitalized child during one of the most stressful times of their lives,” Kress says. “Last year, more than 4,500 families were provided 82,000 nights of lodging by the Columbus Ronald McDonald House, the largest Ronald McDonald House in the world.”

OSU CFAES says the facility provides a “home away from home” for families facing a child’s illness and hospitalization. Located across the street from Nationwide Children’s Hospital, the Columbus Ronald McDonald House provides not only lodging, but also meals, a place to rest, laundry facilities, an exercise room, informal gathering areas, and activities for siblings of hospitalized children.

The Dean’s Charity Steer Show, to be an annual event, will be coordinated by CFAES, Telhio Credit Union, and the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association.

To learn more and to donate to your favorite celebrity exhibitor, visit the OSU Dean's Charity Steer Show webpage.

Source: OSU CFAES, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.