Angus Foundation’s “George Grant Challengers” pledge to help sustain the breed’s 150-year legacy
Group of Angus breeders make $15,000 gifts, challenging fellow members to give $150 to the “A Legacy Built” campaign.
A group of dedicated Angus breeders each pledged $15,000 to establish the “George Grant Challenge” in support of the Angus Foundation’s “A Legacy Built” campaign. With 2023 marking 150 years since the arrival of the breed in the United States, the sustaining fund celebrates this milestone by asking donors to pledge $150 annually to continue the Angus legacy for the next 150 years. The Foundation set a goal of reaching 1,000 donations to “A Legacy Built” by December 31, 2023. The “George Grant Challenge” will double the impact of this goal by matching dollar-for-dollar the first 1,000 donations of $150 in 2023. Contributions to the campaign benefit the Angus Fund, which provides unrestricted dollars to support the Foundation’s mission of education, youth and research.
Scottish Angus breeder George Grant brought the first Angus bulls to the prairies of Victoria, Kansas, with the dream to build a legacy — a legacy that went on to make a lasting impression on the beef industry. When crossed with Texas Longhorn cows native to the plains, Angus bulls sired high-quality calves which were well-suited to the region. These results demonstrated the Angus breed’s initial value in the United States. Grant’s legacy of Angus impact continues today through the positive effects of programs funded and conducted by the Angus Foundation. The “George Grant Challengers” pledged their gifts in honor of the person who introduced them to the Angus breed, served as a mentor or influenced their success. Like Grant, those who serve as leaders and encouragers for the next generation are influential in continuing the 150-year Angus legacy.
“It’s with great pride that we recognize this group of dedicated Angus supporters,” said Jaclyn Boester, Angus Foundation executive director. “Their leadership and commitment to match the first 1,000 gifts to “A Legacy Built” validates the need to focus on the future by building a long-term fund to sustain the Angus legacy. The challengers are a perfect testament to the Angus family’s dedication to our breed.”
George Grant Challengers:
44 Farms, Cameron, Texas – Bob & Dana McClaren
808 Ranch, Bentonville, Ark. – Lamar & Shari Steiger
Belle Point Ranch, Fort Smith, Ark. – Mary Ann McMahon, Susan Taylor, Julie French
Connealy Angus, Whitman, Neb. – Jerry & Sharon Connealy
Daltons on the Sycamore, Altavista, Va. – Doug & Beverly Dalton
Pollard Farms, LLC, Enid, Okla. – Barry & Roxanne Pollard
Sydenstricker Genetics, Mexico, Mo. – Eddie & Connie Sydenstricker
“A Legacy Built” is intended to be a long-term, sustaining fund which seeks an affordable and impactful commitment of $150 annually or $12.50 monthly. Donors may also make a one-time contribution of $150 in 2023 to help meet the match provided by the Challengers and achieve the Foundation’s goal of 1,000 donors by December 31.
“We’re optimistic about the ways this campaign will impact the future of the breed,” Boester said. “These generous gifts, both from our George Grant Challengers and our campaign supporters, ensure we sustain the Angus legacy our breeders have built.”
To participate in the Legacy Built campaign, donations can be made online at bit.ly/ALegacyBuilt, mailed via check or even pledged at Angus events like the National Junior Angus Show or Angus Convention. For more details, contact Jaclyn Boester at JBoester@Angus.org.
To learn more about the Angus Foundation and its mission, visit www.AngusFoundation.org.
— Written by Peyton Schmitt, Angus Communications
About the Angus Foundation
Established as a 501(c)(3) organization in 1980, the Angus Foundation remains focused on its mission to support Angus education, youth, and research. The organization as distributed more than $3.9 million in youth scholarships since 1998 and has also invested more than $1.3 million in beef cattle research in the past decade.
For more information, contact the Angus Foundation at 816-383-5100.
ANGUS MEANS BUSINESS. The American Angus Association® is the nation’s largest beef breed organization, serving more than 22,000 members across the United States, Canada and several other countries. It’s home to an extensive breed registry that grows by more than 300,000 animals each year. The Association also provides programs and services to farmers, ranchers and others who rely on Angus to produce quality genetics for the beef industry and quality beef for consumers.
For more information about Angus cattle and the American Angus Association, visit www.angus.org
Photo: Angus Foundation supporters Lamar Steiger and Doug Slattery visit with American Angus Association CEO Mark McCully at Ranchers’ Revelry, hosted May 19 by Audley Farm in Berryville, Va. The event raised over $80,000 in celebration of the breed’s 150-year anniversary and the “A Legacy Built” campaign.
