At Canadian Dairy XPO Calves for a Cause farmers open wallets for great cattle and to help kids

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It’s three hours after the trade show at the Canadian Dairy Xpo closed, but hundreds of people crowd into one end of the Cow Colliseum to bid on great calves, but also to show support to children in need of medical help.Calves for a Cause has become a beloved part of the Canadian Dairy Xpo, which ran April 2 and 3 in Stratford, Ont. The fundraising dairy heifer sale has raised more than $100,000 in the first four years it has run. The fifth year looked to be an even larger success with strong bidding on the 40 calves, 26 embryos, numerous semen lots and some other specialty item lots including a large 4-H Ontario sign and an LED illuminated sign of a Holstein head in front of a maple leaf.The even pulls together dairy farmers from Ontario and around the world in an exercise that shares their joy of great cattle and giving back to their communities.The sale raises funds for the Children’s Health Foundation, which funds children’s hospital care in London, Ont. Brooks Markus, the son of dairy farmers Darryl and Sarah Markus, has had Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome (CCHS), since birth. It’s a nervous system disorder that disrupts the brain’s control of autonomic functions like breathing but can also affect other functions such as sleeping.The Markus family spent many days in the intensive care unit in London with Brooks, and were inspired to host the sale, which started out online and then ended up in person at the Canadian Dairy Xpo.Consignors decide how much of the sale price they wish to donate.The bidding started off strong for the first calf lot Martin-View Sweet Caroline, selling for $11,000. The bidding remained strong, hitting a high of $20,500 for Hodglynn Alpha Mapleton, a red Holstein maternal sister to the Supreme Champion of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in 2022, Blondin RD Unstopabull Maple Ex-94.Mapleton sold to a buyer in the Netherlands, with bidders in person, on the phone and through the internet all looking to take home the red heifer. After an hour so of intense bidding and even more intense discussions around the room between friends, colleagues and industry partners, pizza arrived to help get everyone through the last of the bidding.It will be a few weeks until the donation total is known.

Photo: John Greig

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It’s three hours after the trade show at the Canadian Dairy Xpo closed, but hundreds of people crowd into one end of the Cow Colliseum to bid on great calves, but also to show support to children in need of medical help.Calves for a Cause has become a beloved part of the Canadian Dairy Xpo, which ran April 2 and 3 in Stratford, Ont. The fundraising dairy heifer sale has raised more than $100,000 in the first four years it has run. The fifth year looked to be an even larger success with strong bidding on the 40 calves, 26 embryos, numerous semen lots and some other specialty item lots including a large 4-H Ontario sign and an LED illuminated sign of a Holstein head in front of a maple leaf.The even pulls together dairy farmers from Ontario and around the world in an exercise that shares their joy of great cattle and giving back to their communities.The sale raises funds for the Children’s Health Foundation, which funds children’s hospital care in London, Ont. Brooks Markus, the son of dairy farmers Darryl and Sarah Markus, has had Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome (CCHS), since birth. It’s a nervous system disorder that disrupts the brain’s control of autonomic functions like breathing but can also affect other functions such as sleeping.The Markus family spent many days in the intensive care unit in London with Brooks, and were inspired to host the sale, which started out online and then ended up in person at the Canadian Dairy Xpo.Consignors decide how much of the sale price they wish to donate.The bidding started off strong for the first calf lot Martin-View Sweet Caroline, selling for $11,000. The bidding remained strong, hitting a high of $20,500 for Hodglynn Alpha Mapleton, a red Holstein maternal sister to the Supreme Champion of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in 2022, Blondin RD Unstopabull Maple Ex-94.Mapleton sold to a buyer in the Netherlands, with bidders in person, on the phone and through the internet all looking to take home the red heifer. After an hour so of intense bidding and even more intense discussions around the room between friends, colleagues and industry partners, pizza arrived to help get everyone through the last of the bidding.It will be a few weeks until the donation total is known.

Photo: John Greig

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It’s three hours after the trade show at the Canadian Dairy Xpo closed, but hundreds of people crowd into one end of the Cow Colliseum to bid on great calves, but also to show support to children in need of medical help.Calves for a Cause has become a beloved part of the Canadian Dairy Xpo, which ran April 2 and 3 in Stratford, Ont. The fundraising dairy heifer sale has raised more than $100,000 in the first four years it has run. The fifth year looked to be an even larger success with strong bidding on the 40 calves, 26 embryos, numerous semen lots and some other specialty item lots including a large 4-H Ontario sign and an LED illuminated sign of a Holstein head in front of a maple leaf.The even pulls together dairy farmers from Ontario and around the world in an exercise that shares their joy of great cattle and giving back to their communities.The sale raises funds for the Children’s Health Foundation, which funds children’s hospital care in London, Ont. Brooks Markus, the son of dairy farmers Darryl and Sarah Markus, has had Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome (CCHS), since birth. It’s a nervous system disorder that disrupts the brain’s control of autonomic functions like breathing but can also affect other functions such as sleeping.The Markus family spent many days in the intensive care unit in London with Brooks, and were inspired to host the sale, which started out online and then ended up in person at the Canadian Dairy Xpo.Consignors decide how much of the sale price they wish to donate.The bidding started off strong for the first calf lot Martin-View Sweet Caroline, selling for $11,000. The bidding remained strong, hitting a high of $20,500 for Hodglynn Alpha Mapleton, a red Holstein maternal sister to the Supreme Champion of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in 2022, Blondin RD Unstopabull Maple Ex-94.Mapleton sold to a buyer in the Netherlands, with bidders in person, on the phone and through the internet all looking to take home the red heifer. After an hour so of intense bidding and even more intense discussions around the room between friends, colleagues and industry partners, pizza arrived to help get everyone through the last of the bidding.It will be a few weeks until the donation total is known.

Photo: John Greig

108378_web1_Canadian-Dairy-Xpo-2025-Calves-for-a-Cause-crowd_jg

It’s three hours after the trade show at the Canadian Dairy Xpo closed, but hundreds of people crowd into one end of the Cow Colliseum to bid on great calves, but also to show support to children in need of medical help.Calves for a Cause has become a beloved part of the Canadian Dairy Xpo, which ran April 2 and 3 in Stratford, Ont. The fundraising dairy heifer sale has raised more than $100,000 in the first four years it has run. The fifth year looked to be an even larger success with strong bidding on the 40 calves, 26 embryos, numerous semen lots and some other specialty item lots including a large 4-H Ontario sign and an LED illuminated sign of a Holstein head in front of a maple leaf.The even pulls together dairy farmers from Ontario and around the world in an exercise that shares their joy of great cattle and giving back to their communities.The sale raises funds for the Children’s Health Foundation, which funds children’s hospital care in London, Ont. Brooks Markus, the son of dairy farmers Darryl and Sarah Markus, has had Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome (CCHS), since birth. It’s a nervous system disorder that disrupts the brain’s control of autonomic functions like breathing but can also affect other functions such as sleeping.The Markus family spent many days in the intensive care unit in London with Brooks, and were inspired to host the sale, which started out online and then ended up in person at the Canadian Dairy Xpo.Consignors decide how much of the sale price they wish to donate.The bidding started off strong for the first calf lot Martin-View Sweet Caroline, selling for $11,000. The bidding remained strong, hitting a high of $20,500 for Hodglynn Alpha Mapleton, a red Holstein maternal sister to the Supreme Champion of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in 2022, Blondin RD Unstopabull Maple Ex-94.Mapleton sold to a buyer in the Netherlands, with bidders in person, on the phone and through the internet all looking to take home the red heifer. After an hour so of intense bidding and even more intense discussions around the room between friends, colleagues and industry partners, pizza arrived to help get everyone through the last of the bidding.It will be a few weeks until the donation total is known.

Photo: John Greig

108378_web1_Canadian-Dairy-Xpo-Brooks-Markus-2025_jg

It’s three hours after the trade show at the Canadian Dairy Xpo closed, but hundreds of people crowd into one end of the Cow Colliseum to bid on great calves, but also to show support to children in need of medical help.Calves for a Cause has become a beloved part of the Canadian Dairy Xpo, which ran April 2 and 3 in Stratford, Ont. The fundraising dairy heifer sale has raised more than $100,000 in the first four years it has run. The fifth year looked to be an even larger success with strong bidding on the 40 calves, 26 embryos, numerous semen lots and some other specialty item lots including a large 4-H Ontario sign and an LED illuminated sign of a Holstein head in front of a maple leaf.The even pulls together dairy farmers from Ontario and around the world in an exercise that shares their joy of great cattle and giving back to their communities.The sale raises funds for the Children’s Health Foundation, which funds children’s hospital care in London, Ont. Brooks Markus, the son of dairy farmers Darryl and Sarah Markus, has had Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome (CCHS), since birth. It’s a nervous system disorder that disrupts the brain’s control of autonomic functions like breathing but can also affect other functions such as sleeping.The Markus family spent many days in the intensive care unit in London with Brooks, and were inspired to host the sale, which started out online and then ended up in person at the Canadian Dairy Xpo.Consignors decide how much of the sale price they wish to donate.The bidding started off strong for the first calf lot Martin-View Sweet Caroline, selling for $11,000. The bidding remained strong, hitting a high of $20,500 for Hodglynn Alpha Mapleton, a red Holstein maternal sister to the Supreme Champion of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in 2022, Blondin RD Unstopabull Maple Ex-94.Mapleton sold to a buyer in the Netherlands, with bidders in person, on the phone and through the internet all looking to take home the red heifer. After an hour so of intense bidding and even more intense discussions around the room between friends, colleagues and industry partners, pizza arrived to help get everyone through the last of the bidding.It will be a few weeks until the donation total is known.

Photo: John Greig