Out in Red Deer County, young fundraisers planned a steer raffle auction and raised a whopping $20,000 for the Alberta Cancer Foundation.
By Karin Olafson
Photo courtesy of Meredith Hoar.
When youth members of the Knee Hill Valley 4-H Beef Club first join the group, they take a pledge. Meredith Hoar, who leads the group with her husband Greg, says a big part of that pledge is promising their “hands to larger service.” And that’s something the kids take seriously — fundraising is a significant part of what the youth club is about.
The club is made up of 25 children from different municipalities in Red Deer County, and while they’re only ages six to 18, they’re making a big difference by bringing their community together. Every year since 2021, the young members have organized the Knee Hill Valley 4-H Charity Steer Fundraiser.
“A beef calf is purchased or donated and then is raised by 4-H members,” explains Hoar, whose role as leader, in part, involves helping the kids with their fundraising efforts. The kids raffle off auction tickets, and in May each year, the chosen winner gets the finished animal — and can pack their freezer with beef.
Since 2021, the club has raised $91,545 for various charities and community needs, which are selected by the children through a vote. In 2025, the funds raised were donated to the Alberta Cancer Foundation, a choice that was meaningful to Hoar. In 2022, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was 38 years old, and her youngest of four children was just one year old.
“Hearing that the kids chose to donate the funds to the Alberta Cancer Foundation was really emotional for me. I couldn’t hold back the tears,” says Hoar, who has gone through mastectomies and completed her chemotherapy rounds. She adds that for each fundraiser, the children select a name for the calf that reflects the chosen charity. In 2025, the steer was named Bell Ringer, symbolizing a tradition where individuals facing cancer ring a bell to mark treatment milestones.
The four Hollman brothers are part of the Knee Hill Valley 4-H Beef Club and were instrumental in choosing the Foundation as the 2025 fund recipient.
“It means a great deal to me to be able to support the Alberta Cancer Foundation, as I know a couple of people personally who have [had] breast cancer, such as our leader Meredith and my grandma,” says Colby Hollman, who is 17. His 16-year-old brother, Kaden, adds, “People of all ages came out to support the Alberta Cancer Foundation, and it shows how much the community cares about helping others.”
In total, Bell Ringer raised $20,000 for the Foundation.
“We’re all trying to make a difference and see change,” says Hoar. “This just unifies us.”
