BEATRICE – An annual statewide event generating support for cancer research, got a boost from Gage County Wednesday, where the event will be held the first weekend of June.


The Cattleman’s Ball is being hosted by the Terry and Bev Acton family near Blue Springs, and the Gage County Board approved an $18,000 visitors improvement fund grant to help the event.


Coordinator Patty Goes says the funding will assist with transporting guests to and from the site of the ball.
"We expect to have forty five hundred to five thousand people entering Gage County. Some of them are going to be staying overnight in our hotels and houses that are put up for rent...and any sleeping quarters that we can find. What we're doing with this grant is we're asking for a local bus...Austin Zimmerman's Bus Transportation...to pick people up in Beatrice, travel down Highway 77 through Blue Springs...pick another group of people up from the Wymore-Blue Springs area...travel through Blue Springs and off east of Blue Springs to the site. This will help with transportation because we don't want that many cars on the road, so if we can convince people to use this bus transportation, it will help with the transportation on the roads and the parking."


Goes says discussions have been held with Beatrice High School officials about providing parking area for visitors…with bus transportation provided back to Beatrice. The event hopes to also use the Blue Springs Elementary School Parking lot. Organizers plan to use two buses.


"There is alcohol involved at the event, and so we want to make sure that safety is the number one thought in our mind, with people driving. We visited with the county sheriff's office, we visited with the county roads department trying to figure out what is the best route....and safety is the number one thing. But, we want to highlight Gage County."


Goes talked about expected traffic to and from the event.  "The highest traffic will be Friday night, around five o'clock because of the dinner Friday night for the Trail Boss. The next highest group will be on Saturday at noon...because that's when the Top Hand tickets come through. And then the departure will come Friday night at about ten o'clock...and then the big departure will come Saturday night, probably between ten and midnight. It actually shuts down at about 12:30. We are hoping to have about four hundred to six hundred people using those buses."


Gage County Tourism Director Dakota Hurley says Gage County is hoping to highlight local tourism attractions, handing out visitor guides to those attending the 2025 Cattleman’s Ball, which will be June 6th and 7th east of Blue Springs. Around that same time, Sam Wymore Days and Homestead Days will be held during June, along with several tournaments at local ballfields.


The grant support was approved by the Gage County Board on a vote of 7-0.