A little girl named Katie Eitner decided to sell her lamb at a recent 4-H auction in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania.
Katie's stepdad, Harley Joe Gapen, has a brain tumor. She hoped the sale could help pay for some of his medical bills, which have been piling up and placing a huge financial burden on the already stress-ridden family. She didn't expect to make a huge dent in the stack of bills but knew any amount would help.
After arriving at the county fair, Katie stepped into the ring to sell her 145-pound lamb. The auctioneer started the bidding at $20 a pound.
But what Katie, Harley, and their family didn't know was that the community had come prepared to bid — and bid high.
As it turned out, the organizers of the auction heard about Katie's plan in advance and spread the word. Local businesses, neighbors, and fellow 4-H members had formed a plan of their own and attended the auction in droves.
Minute by minute, the price per pound kept going up … and up … and up. The crowd cheered, and onlookers shed tears amid the emotional event.
Finally, the winning bid was announced at $233 a pound — 10 times more than where the auction started.
Katie ended up selling the lamb for a whopping $33,785.
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"This is what 4-H and farming is all about!" one Facebook commenter writes. "A tight knit group that will go to extremes to help one another!"
See the amazing auction unfold in the video.
