A pig, a cow and two watermelons sold for at least $65,000 at the La Plata County Fair Junior Livestock Auction on Saturday in Durango.
It was an act of compassion for two families going through hard times.
The La Plata County Fairgrounds was packed during the auction, one of the last and largest events during the annual fair. Just over 100 items were sold – swine, sheep, goats, cattle, craft items and more that represent months of hard work by young 4-H Club members. In total, the 4-H members pulled in about $505,000.
“It was a record,” said Emily Meisner, fair board member. “Last year, we set a record at $479,000. That was $100,000 more than the previous year, 2019.”
But the annual event took on a different tone this year, as community members commemorated Kinley Mitchell, 10, who died in July from the plague. And they rallied around the Pontine family, whose daughter, Kylee, 16, experienced a severe traumatic brain injury as the result of a horse accident last month at the True West Rodeo.
“The whole evening was really a sense of community brought back to the forefront,” Meisner said.
Mitchell, a Sunnyside Elementary School student, was raising hogs as a 4-H project. During the auction, Bayfield-based Energy Inspection Services won the sale, buying her 250-pound pig for $7,750.
Pontine was taken to Children’s Hospital in Colorado Springs after being injured during a local rodeo. Her steer ended up weighing 1,229 pounds. Energy Inspection Services bought it for $30,110.50.
Then, the watermelons. American AgCredit provided watermelons for the fair, but ended up with four left over. The business decided to donate two watermelons in honor of Mitchell and two for Pontine.
At auction, the watermelons raised $27,000 to benefit both families, Meisner said.
“There was friendly competition of who could bid higher because it was benefiting these two families,” she said. “There was laughter and cheering and support for each other. It was magical.”
There could even be more coming, Meisner said. She hadn’t wrapped up her record-keeping as of Monday, and additional donations can be turned in until Friday.
“It was emotionally challenging for both families and very heartwarming to see the outpouring of community support,” she said. “And very overwhelming.”
The Pontines felt “beyond blessed” by the outpouring of generosity.
“We can’t even explain the gratitude we’re feeling for the people throughout their community who are opening up their hearts, their prayers, their pocketbooks. It’s unreal,” both Brad and Trista Pontine said.
Kylee Pontine is in a minimally conscious state more than a month after her accident with more surgeries in her future. Her mother expects to live in Denver for the next three to six months while she receives care at Children’s Hospital Colorado.
Other 4-H members even donated the proceeds from their livestock projects to the family, Trista Pontine said.
“We live in an amazing community,” said Kelly Mitchell, Kinley’s father, in a text message to The Durango Herald. “We can’t thank them enough for all their love and support.”
smullane@durangoherald.com
