---

WILLMAR, Minn. - Nearly 950 baseball fans received an added bonus of seeing seven different baby calves, sparkling crowns and a cow-milking contest at a Willmar Stingers baseball game.
The Kandiyohi County American Dairy Association provided dairy rich entertainment for the first ever Salute a Cow Night at the Willmar Stingers game on Thursday, June 6. This game is one of the many events the ADA puts on during West Central Dairy Days week.
"This was our first year working with this," said Stephanie Larson, Kandiyohi County Dairy Association board member. "The Stingers came to our board and wanted to set something up. We really wanted to do this."
The ADA helped create the Salute a Cow Night jam packed with dairy fun. Stinger fans were able to see real cow teeth, feed samples, a calf bottle and many different items that are made from milk prior, to the game.
"People don't realize how versatile milk is," Larson said. "We want to stress that dairy products are healthy and safe and that we take good care of our land and animals."
The main attraction prior to the game was the petting zoo, representing all seven dairy breeds.
"I really wanted all seven breeds represented," Larson said. "People are so far removed from the farm with some five to six generations out. Those that do have an ag background think black and white. We want them to know there are seven breeds of dairy cattle."
The calves weren't the only dairy animals attending the game. Gene and Shelly Gatewood brought two of their Holstein cows to the baseball field as part of the cow-milking contest between the Stingers manager, Matt Hollod, and Thunder Bay's manager, Dan Hocum while the music parody, "Feedin' a Nation" played in the background.
Nearly 20 volunteers in the dairy community were on hand during the game to help with the petting zoo and contests, hand out cheese sticks to Stingers fans, answer questions about living and working on a dairy farm and serve shakes by the food stand.
"This is the biggest thing we have done besides the dairy booth during the fair," said April Damhof, Kandiyohi County dairy princess coordinator. "There are a lot of people here. It is great exposure."
The Kandiyohi County dairy princesses, dairy ambassadors and Princess Kay of the Milky Way, Christine Reitsma, were all helping out with the various activities. Dairy princess, Jessica Gatewood, sang the National Anthem while Princess Kay emceed the cow-milking contest.
The ambassadors participated in the Race to Home contest in between innings and Princess Kay, along with the county dairy princesses, sang 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during the seventh inning stretch.
Dairy princess, Brielle Hauge, caught the first pitch of the game thrown by her grandfather and retired dairy farmer, Myron Hauge. Hauge's other granddaughter, Madison, brought him the ball for the first pitch.
"It's a neat family thing," Larson said.
Hauge used to play shortstop for a local team called the Lakers after World War II and his granddaughter, Brielle, just finished her first season as a catcher with Ridgewater College.
"I've always been a baseball fan," Hauge said with a smile. "My granddaughter is catching it. She had a good season at Ridgewater this year."
Even though the Stingers lost the game, the dairy industry sure hit a home run with the fans.
"People are excited," Damhof said. "They are getting to see things they don't expect to see at a baseball game."[[In-content Ad]]

---