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Hogging the spotlight
Reporter-News Photo by Ronald W. Erdrich Jordan Barnett, 17, a junior at Wylie High School, herds pigs down an aisle at Wylie's FFA barn Monday during an auction benefiting the West Texas Rehabilitation Center.
More Local News With some bids topping $1,000 Monday night, top-end animals may have seemed a little pricey at the 18th annual Rehab Pig Sale.
But not to bidders such as Brenda Heffernan.
"The money is worth it. It helps the kids," she said, referring to clients of the West Texas Rehabilitation Center.
"It's just a good organization, and a lot of breeders in West Texas donate to help the kids," she said.
"We buy three or four (pigs) a year," Heffernan said early in the evening before she'd bought any animals.
Her 17-year-old son, Brian, would raise pigs purchased Monday night, Heffernan said.
He's a member of Taylor County 4-H and attends Wylie High School, she said.
As of 8:25 p.m., the top winning bid had been $1,350, said Dan Huggins, director of donor relations for the rehab center.
Proceeds figures were not available late Monday, but last year's sale fetched about $16,000, said Woody Gilliland, the rehab center's chief executive.
The pig sale is part of the WTRC's annual Roundup for Rehab, Gilliland said.
Parents with students who will raise the animals for livestock projects and shows, and in some cases, friends of such students, are the bidders, Gilliland said.
The pigs' owners donate the animals to the rehab center, and the animals are auctioned off, he said. The animals sold Monday will return Dec. 13 for the Rehab Jackpot Show, he said.
Gilliland paid tribute to Don Richburg of Roscoe, who was chairing his 18th and final Rehab Pig Sale.
"We're going to refer to him now as Boss Hog emeritus," Gilliland joked.
Gilts and barrows of all swine breeds, ranging from about eight weeks to three months old, and 15 to 60 pounds, were available at the sale at Wylie High School's agriculture barn, said Danny Isbell, agriculture fundraising coordinator for the rehab center.
Huggins said livestock donors came from as far away as Iowa.
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