Amber Choma’s 2025 Grand Champion Market Swine in the 2025 Livestock Auction.
SVI PHOTO/DAN DOCKSTADER

• Each food bank to receive $1,000 to process donated fair animals

Star Valley’s chapter of the Knights of Columbus has committed to cover all costs for processing Lincoln County Fair livestock auction animals that are offered in donation to local food banks. Each of the three food banks in the valley is promised a check for $1000 and additional funds for processing are available as needed.

“The Knights of Columbus is a global Catholic men’s organization,” said Mike Hobby, Community Director for the Knights. “Our local Star Valley Council, which started in 2016, engages in extensive local charitable and community programs, providing food and warmth. We run food drives for local pantries via ‘Food for Families’ and distribute winter coats to children through ‘Coats for Kids’.  We assist our local parish with building maintenance, fundraisers (like fish fry dinners and pancake breakfasts), and youth sports or scholarship programs. We work to help local families in need due to unexpected difficulties.”

Knights of Columbus members left to right: Mike Hobby (Community Director), Ron Denney (Financial Secretary) and Keith Jones (Past Grand Knight).

The 150-year-old community minded organization’s roots are in Connecticut where a group of Catholic men, under the direction of their local priest, quietly chose to provide a fraternal safety net to single parent families. Star Valley’s chapter operates out of the Holy Family Catholic Church in Thayne where they sell bulletins and host Bingo nights as fundraisers for their cause.

“If people buy an animal at the livestock auction and donate it to any of the three food banks, we will cover the processing fees,” said Hobby. “Then, the food banks are covered so they can accept those animals. Last year, some of the food banks didn’t have extra funds to pay for the processing, so they could only accept animals that already had processing fees paid by the buyers.”

Hobby said that $1000 per food bank typically covers all the processing fees for fair animals, but if there are more donations than anticipated, there are more funds available to ensure that every animal’s processing is covered.  “This helps three groups,” said Hobby. “It helps the kids. It helps the food banks, and it helps the food bank patrons.”

Hobby is director of the Alpine Food Bank and knows the challenges that the banks face in providing protein for their patrons. “Protein is the most expensive, hardest thing to get right now. When you have a lot of people come through, you can only give one package each pick up. Protein is a big thing for the food banks. They sure appreciate the help.”