July 20, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information contact:
Clint Mefford, director of communications
(816) 383-5143
To request photos contact prphotos@angus.org
Angus Foundation Honors Three Couples
Cottons, Damerons and VanderSloots recognized at the 2018 National Junior Angus Show.
In 1985, the first Honorary Angus Foundation Inductees were recognized for their support of young members. Seven inductees were chosen that first year by the National Junior Angus Association, and since then, each year a maximum of three inductees are selected to be recognized. The first seven recognized were Lyle Haring, Iowa; Robert Hicks, Kentucky; George Becker, North Dakota; Robert Snyder, Arkansas; Ed Stout, Missouri; and Percy and Margaret Upton, Nebraska. This year, three couples were chosen and recognized for their dedication to the organization’s mission of supporting education, youth and research benefitting the Angus breed.
“The Angus Foundation acknowledges three exemplary couples for their continued support of the foundation and the breed,” said Milford Jenkins, Angus Foundation president. “We are proud to present Terry and Sarah Cotton, Gary and Sharon Dameron, and Frank and Belinda VanderSloot with the prestigious Honorary Angus Foundation Inductee award.”
Terry and Sarah Cotton are known nationwide by Angus breeders. Terry’s distinguished professional career with Angus began in 1979. Serving the Angus breed 38 years in his roles as regional manager and general manager of Angus Productions, Inc., and spending countless hours and miles on the road attending Angus sales has made him a recognizable face within the Angus breed.
Terry has helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars at Angus Foundation events hosted by Summitcrest Farms, Vintage Angus Ranch, Express Ranches, Spruce Mountain Ranch, National Western Angus Bull Sale, Decades of Excellence Angus Finals Las Vegas Sale and the Angus Foundation Supporter Recognition Event. He also took bids for the first Angus Foundation Heifer Package at the National Western Stock Show in 1980. Terry’s one-of-a-kind style, ability to read an audience and encourage bidders is well known in the industry.
Gary and Sharon Dameron of Dameron Angus Farms have been part of the Angus family for more than four decades, supporting youth and the breed. Gary also has served on the American Angus Association® board of directors and as board president in 1989. Dameron Angus Farms, started by Gary and the late Linda Dameron, focus on raising genetically competitive animals for show across the country, producing three national champion bulls, 16 grand or reserve grand champions at the National Junior Angus Show, and more than 28 grand or reserve champions of the Illinois State Fair.
The contributions made by the Dameron family include confirmed heifer pregnancies, purchases of silent auction items and other gifts to the Angus Foundation. In addition, all four children, Christy, Jay, Jeff and Julie, were actively involved in the NJAA with three of them serving on the board. All of these have made an impact on the lives of the Angus youth and beef cattle producers who’ve benefitted from the organization’s sponsored activities and programs.
Frank and Belinda VanderSloot of the Riverbend Ranch in Idaho Falls, Idaho, donated the 2007 Angus Foundation heifer, Riverbend Rita R125, which sold for $135,000. Lifetime Giving Angus Builder donors, the VanderSloot’s philanthropic charitable gifts to the Angus Foundation over the years have provided Angus youth scholarships, leadership training, registered Angus and commercial producer education, and innovative beef cattle research for the advancement of the Angus breed and beef cattle industry.
Riverbend Ranch is a leader in registered Angus seedstock genetics throughout the country. With cattle operations in Idaho, California, Utah, Montana, Texas and Wyoming, it ranks in the top 20 purebred and commercial cattle programs in the nation and was awarded the Commitment to Excellence Award from Certified Angus Beef LLC in 2016.
For information on how to nominate someone for the Honorary Angus Foundation Inductee award go to http://www.angus.org/njaa/Awards.aspx.
— Written by Chloé Fowler, 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 has distributed more than $2.9 million in youth scholarships since 1998, and has also invested more than $1.3 million in beef cattle research throughout the past decade.
For more information, contact the Angus Foundation at 816-383-5100 or visit www.angusfoundation.org.
ANGUS MEANS BUSINESS. The American Angus Association® is the nation’s largest beef breed organization, serving more than 25,000 members across the United States, Canada and several other countries. It’s home to an extensive breed registry that grows by nearly 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.
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