History of the Cattle & Grain Round Up

Over two decades ago a group of local farmers and ranchers gathered in Wilf & Gladys Longson’s basement to learn about a unique idea to raise funds for their local hospital through donations of cash, cattle or grain. The idea presented was based on a similar program done in the Red Deer area that focused on donations of cattle. The program was customized to include donations of cattle, grain and cash. Everyone bought in and devised a plan to encourage other local farmers and ranchers to support the program. Fred Randle took an area Municipal District map sectioned if off and each person was designated an area to go out and tell their neighbors and friends about the Cattle and Grain Round Up in support of the High River Hospital. Some of those in the room that day that helped spread the word and get the campaign off the ground were Wilf, Fred, Lew Callahan, Harley Earl & Wilson Sutherland.

For the first 12 years of the program the Foundation partnered with the Chinook Country Cattlemen, a non-profit organization whose mandate was to create awareness and provide education regarding the economic impact of the cattle industry in the Foothills area. Their membership included: ranches, feedlots, individuals and businesses that had a vested interest in the beef industry. Each fall, based on the market a pen of cattle were purchased and they were fed and managed by the host feedlot and sold in the spring with the proceeds from the sale being directed to the funding project. Following the dissolution of the Cattlemen group the program continued by accepting donations of cash, cattle or grain.

The Annual Cattle and Grain Wind Up was held each August to celebrate the Round Up and to thank the donors and host feedlot. A highlight of the evening was a homemade pie auction held to kick off the fundraising for the upcoming year, with pies often selling for hundreds of dollars.

Since 1996 the farm and ranch community has raised over $1.1 million through this unique fundraising initiative. The original group of farmers, like our supporters today, understood the important role of the High River Hospital in our Foothills communities and wanted to secure and improve the healthcare available to all residents in the area.