'Higher the price would go, the better it would be': Estevan boy raises thousands for Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital in charity steer auction

Cole Davenport CTV Regina

Like many kids from rural Saskatchewan, Gage Goetz is a member of his local 4-H Club. But this young cattleman from the Estevan area is selling off his latest steer for a cause close to his heart: the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital. “Well I’ve had two heart surgeries out of the province in Edmonton,” Gage said. “I was thinking well, kids could get closer care to home in Saskatchewan.”

Gage was born with several congenital heart defects, but both surgeries went smoothly. “He just had a checkup here this June,” Tammi Goetz, Gage's mom, said. “All the repairs are looking wonderful, he’s thriving.” But Gage will continue those checkups throughout his life to make sure everything keeps going smoothly. “He’ll be under the care of pediatric cardiologist until he’s 18 and then he’ll be under the care of a cardiologist after that so they’ll be under their close watch for the rest of his life, which is why this is so important to him.” Growing up on a small farm north of Estevan, Gage has been part of 4-H for the last three years.

It was after undergoing his most recent surgery last summer that he decided he’d sell off his steer, Sammy, to help the children’s hospital. Once his parents gave the OK, the campaign was on. “We were very proud of him,” Tammi said. “We were very happy for him to do this to give back to Saskatchewan, give back to the kids that are going to utilize that hospital including him.” “Then we started putting up posters and things like that, then I was on Facebook, then I started getting on one of those Future billboards around Estevan,” Gage said. After months of raising money and awareness, it was time for the big auction in Estevan on Thursday evening and Gage’s steer was first in line for sale.

Gage brought Sammy out in front of a big crowd of buyers, and walked him around the show ring as the bids went higher and higher before the auctioneer’s hammer dropped to close bidding at a whopping $12,000. When the auctioneer shouted “sold” Gage was grinning from ear-to-ear. “I was thinking the higher the price would go, the better it would be,” Gage said. But that wasn’t it; he also sold off his show cane and show halter he used to take Sammy around the ring for another $12,000.