Buckeye Career Center donates fair hog to help stock local food pantry

Buckeye Career Center staff members have concluded their annual purchase and donation of a market hog from the Tuscarawas County Fair, with this year’s donation benefiting the Greater Dover-New Philadelphia Food Pantry. 

The staff raised $2,124 to purchase a 236-pound market hog shown by Brady McGuire, an Energy Operations senior from Claymont High School. The hog was processed by Buckeye Career Center’s Meat Cutting, Deli and Bakery program, yielding approximately 130 pounds of ground sausage. 

According to Bill Fritz, treasurer of the Greater Dover-New Philadelphia Food Pantry, the donation will make a meaningful but short-lived impact due to the local demand. 

“The need that we have is very real,” Fritz said. “It’s not just Dover and New Philadelphia residents we serve. We serve all of Tuscarawas County and beyond—no less than 750 families each week. We try to make sure that they get enough food to support them for one week,” he added. 

Fritz and food pantry board member Kevin Alexander picked up the packaged sausage from BCC on Oct. 13, along with several bags of nonperishable food items collected by students and staff through a HOSA–Future Health Professionals food drive. 

McGuire, who was also present during the pickup, is in his final year of 4-H with the Rowdy Ramblers club. He began showing and selling hogs at age 9 and plans to use the proceeds from this year’s sale to purchase tools and equipment for his future career as a utility lineworker or heavy equipment operator. 

“It makes me feel good that other families are going to be fed because of my hog,” McGuire said. 

Buckeye Career Center staff began contributing to this year’s hog purchase in September. The initiative, led by the superintendent’s secretary, Mrs. Sherry Cardani, included donations from teachers, instructors, support staff, administrators and others. 

This marks the 15th consecutive year BCC staff have purchased a fair hog from a student, donating the processed meat to a local food pantry. Over the years, staff have raised a total of $19,249.50 to support the effort.