Aug 20, 2026
For more than four decades, one Iowa State Fair tradition has brought together agriculture, youth and communities for a cause much bigger than the show ring. Sukup Manufacturing Co. Chairman Steve Sukup joined that tradition on Saturday, Aug. 15, serving as a celebrity showman during the 44th annual Iowa Governor’s Charity Steer Show at the Iowa State Fair.
Steve was paired with youth exhibitor Abby Peterson of Webster City and her steer, Milo. Sponsored by the Foster and Evelyn Barkema Charitable Trust and Friends of Franklin County Cattlemen, the team was one of 25 that entered the Livestock Pavilion to help raise money and awareness for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Iowa.
But at the Governor’s Charity Steer Show, what happens in the ring is only part of the story.
Following the show, each steer heads to the auction block, where buyers, sponsors and supporters come together to bid on the animals. All proceeds from the sale go directly to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Iowa. Steve and Abby’s steer, Milo, brought $55,000 and was the highest selling steer of the event.
Milo’s $55,000 sale contributed to the $569,000 raised during this year’s Governor’s Charity Steer Show. Every dollar goes toward supporting families with seriously ill or hospitalized children. The funds help provide families with a place to stay close to their child while they receive medical care, easing one burden during an already difficult time.
For Abby, that mission hits especially close to home. When both of her siblings were born, her family utilized the services of Ronald McDonald House Charities and stayed at a local house. Now years later, Abby had the opportunity to step into the show ring with Milo and Steve and help support the same organization that had once supported her own family.
Since the Governor’s Charity Steer Show began in 1983, the event has raised more than $6 million for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Iowa. The funds benefit the three independent Ronald McDonald House chapters serving Des Moines, Iowa City and Sioux City. Together, the Iowa houses have served more than 55,000 families, including families from all 99 Iowa counties, all 50 states and countries around the world.
It is that impact that has turned the Governor’s Charity Steer Show into one of the Iowa State Fair’s most meaningful traditions.
Each year, the event connects 25 youth exhibitors with sponsors and celebrity showmen from across Iowa. Together, the teams raise funds and bring attention to the work of Ronald McDonald House Charities before eventually taking their steers through the auction.
The result is an event that celebrates Iowa agriculture while demonstrating what can happen when an industry and its communities rally around families in need.
“It was a great day and a lot of fun getting in the ring with Abby and Milo,” said Steve Sukup. “The agriculture community has always been good about stepping up when there’s a need, and you really see that at this event. Abby did a great job, and seeing Milo bring $55,000 for Ronald McDonald House Charities made it a pretty special day.”
The Governor’s Charity Steer Show is a reminder that some of agriculture’s greatest accomplishments are not measured in ribbons or banners.
For Steve, stepping into the ring as a celebrity showman was an opportunity to be part of a longstanding Iowa tradition while helping bring attention to a cause that reaches far beyond the show ring. Together with Abby and Milo, they helped make this year’s show one to remember.
