One southern Alberta ranching family will be paying special attention to the 2014 Olympics winter games in Sochi, Russia, when they cheer for the Canada’s luge team.
The Barnert family of Okotoks decided to support the athletes with a large donation of beef.
“We felt it was one of those things we could give back. We couldn’t give a cash donation, but we could donate nutrition,” said Jeremiah Barnert, one of the owners of Pin to Point Gelbvieh.
The donation of 600 pounds of grass-fed beef resulted in each member of the team receiving 100 lb. of beef.
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“We are officially named the official beef supplier to the Canadian national luge team,” he said.
The athletes receive some government support, but for many it is a hand to mouth existence.
“If they can’t afford to pay rent or make the car payments, nutrition is the next thing to go,” Barnert said.
The ranch raises purebred seed stock with sales around the world. They also have a grass-fed beef business.
The team, which includes Sam Edney, Alex Gough, Kimberly McRae, Arianne Jones, Tristan Walker and Justin Snith, placed in the top 10 at the 2012 world champion-ships.
The luge team started its fundraising campaign in 2009 when it placed a sign on top of a community toboggan hill in Calgary, which netted them more than $200,000.
