Wooden tractor donated to Cattle Baron's auction
By Nathan Straus News Reporter

Nathan Straus Photo This wooden tractor is expected to help the Cattle Baron's Ball reach a goal of one million dollars.

The tenth annual Cattle Baron's Ball is set to begin at 7 pm Saturday, October 6. The ball will include dinner and live entertainment, as well as live and silent auctions.

The big prize is expected to be a wooden tractor that will function as playground equipment.

Russel Richardson, the airbrush artist who volunteered to donate his time to paint the tractor, said he had seen comparable play sets of trucks and other vehicles priced at well over $1,000.

"This will take roughly a minimum of 12 hours a day," Richardson said. "That's 80 hours of painting at least."

Richardson added that while he is donating his time to paint the tractor for free, a commission of similar size would cost the employer over $2,000.

Dennis Mack, a public relations agent for the Henderson County Cattle Baron's Ball, said the building and painting material for the tractor was donated by Athens Tractor and Equipment, and the tractor's construction was performed by Joe's Custom Millworks in Athens.

Betty Abendroth, the Cattle Baron's Ball chairman, said the ball is a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.

"This will be our tenth anniversary, and I think it's going to be great," Abendroth said.

The ball, Abendroth said involves all of Henderson County, was just a bit low on attendance for its ninth anniversary. Abendroth added that she hopes the tenth ball will make up for it.

This year's ball will be at the Joslin Ranch in Athens on FM 2495 and South East Loop 7.

The first ball was held in Dallas in the `90s, Abendroth commented.

Mack said the ball is a mere $9,000 away from reaching its million dollar fundraising goal. The tractor alone is ex- pected to fetch a large portion of that.

"We hope to hit that million dollar mark at the ball," Mack said.

Richardson said the ball's cause hits close to home for him.

"My dad died of leukemia," Richardson said. "This is absolutely an important issue."

Mack also commented on the importance of the American Cancer Society's work.

"If you look at the number of people who have had less painful lives, and of the people who have survived because of research made in even the last five years," Mack began, "you know they're doing good work."

Abendroth said the American Cancer Society provides aid, often monetary help, to those suffering from cancer.

"I think it is a wonderful organization that does a lot of good," Abendroth added.