SEYMOUR, WI (WTAQ) – Northeast Wisconsin has a bigger story than Zuckerman’s famous pig Wilber.
An 11-year-old Outagamie County 4-H club member found a way to show support for a Shawano County family, along with the help of the area Livestock Community.
On the day of the Outagamie County Fair Livestock Auction, Mason Gorecki asked if he could sell his pig Stein with the proceeds going to the Diemel family.
“It was 100 percent his idea. He came up to his mom and dad and had them ask us if we would be willing to do it,” said Jimmy Peters, Outagamie County Livestock Committee President
What he did not know was the response he would get from the bidders.
Peters said by the end of the bidding the 246-pound pig sold for over 42 dollars a pound or more than $10,000 dollars.
“Normally a pig at our sales range from $4, $5 or maybe $6 dollars a pound.”
The winning big was made by EGI Mechanical of Seymour, but Peters says they were not the only ones bidding.
“Almost everybody there bid on it at some point, but it was about five or six businesses that were bidding towards the end and then two businesses going back and forth at the end.”
The cause hit close to home as Nick and Justin Diemel are the victims of a death investigation in Missouri after the Shawano County Brothers turned up missing after going on a business trip for their livestock business.
“I started asking three dollars just like everything else,” said auctioneer Scott Doyle. But the price just kept rising, and rising. “The signs came up almost like a school teacher asking kids who wants a piece of candy. Just to watch what this kid did then the support,” said Doyle. “Just everybody wanted to help. I don’t get really, really teary-eyed but I’ll call it sweat in my eyes how about that.
Doyle didn’t have to know the Diemel brothers personally, the agriculture community is a close one.
“Everyone started with tears of sadness but then by the end, it was tears of joy for the outpouring of support,” said Peters.
The seller and the purchaser also waived the processing fees.
