CALF_News_Feb_March_2019

40 CALF News • February | March 2019 • www.calfnews.net C attle producers are hardy stock; they must be since they care for their animals when the snow, cold and wind show no mercy. So having the wind and cold again on New Year’s Eve for the second annual Nebraska Cattlemen Sandhills Affiliate’s (NCSA) Winter Ball did not deter many from enjoying ringing in the New Year with friends. It had snowed in the morning, but not enough to worry about. One ball goer noted that it was warmer than last year with a wind chill of -20° F vs. -30°. The Hooker County Community Center on the fairgrounds west of Mullen had hardly an empty seat when it came to enjoying the tantalizing prime rib supper from Gregg and Dawn Mallory of the Chuckwagon N Jug, which was capped off by a myriad of cheesecakes and fruit crisps. They also provided the cash bar that was a popular place. 2019 was rung in with music by Blue Mesa, a band from Kearney. Helping serve and clean up were the FFA clubs from Sandhills High School at Dunning and Thedford High School.“Our area has three high schools, so we alternate every year which group helps,” says NCSA Secretary Tessa Quittner. NCSA President Frank Utter welcomed the 175 in attendance. The evening is the major fundraiser for the group, helping provide scholarships to graduating high school seniors and, in 2018, they awarded their first colle- giate scholarship. To assist in the funding, donors gave a myriad of items for the silent auction, and several large items were auctioned live. A rifle also was raffled off. The NCSA seeks sponsorships from area businesses once per year. Those sponsorships help with the annual Winter Ball, the summer golf outing and steak supper at the Dismal River Golf Club, and the annual fall ranch tour. “We hope we can secure enough funds from this year’s Winter Ball to allocate for another annual scholarship,” Utter says.  Cattlemen Ring in 2019 By Terri Licking Contributing Editor NCSA Board members Eric Schipporeit, Dan Wacher, Kelly Kennedy, Frank Utter, John Kraye, Tessa Quittner, Troy Saner, Adam Zutavern and Miles Mundorf Blue Mesa provided the entertainment for the night's celebration.