A strong showing of support was felt at Perlich Brothers Auction Market in southern Alberta on Tuesday as a single Angus cow sold for $26,500.
The cow belonged to Mack Rattai, who died in a collision on Dec. 16, 2021. His family approached Perlich to see if they could use the auction as a way to fundraise in his memory.
“Mack was one of our customers,” said partner Maureen Perlich. “He is known by our family as well as our staff, and we were very sad to hear of his sudden passing.”
Lynn Rattai, Mack’s wife, said the cow was one of his favourites.
“Mack had a thing for herd-markers,” she explained. “If it was a different colour of cow or anything, that’s what he wanted in his herd. He didn’t like the original colours.”
Lynn and her one-and-a-half-year-old son Greyden watched the auction unfold. She was blown away by the support.
“(The money) will help cover a lot of costs and be put towards his schooling and everything else in the future that we will be facing,” she said.
“We can’t thank everybody enough, from the bottom of our hearts.”
The first bid was upwards of $10,000. The cow was then donated back and sold numerous more times.
The final winning bid came from Mack’s friends Rilee May, Dalton Quiring and Wade Withage, snagging the cow for $4,200.
“It is very special to be able to have it in our possession now, and of course, we’re actually going to give it back to his wife and his (son), so that they can enjoy it and have it and remember Mack,” Quiring said.
“Mack would’ve done the same thing for us,” Withage added.
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