Nebraska Husker Boots Autographed by Husker Coaches to be Auctioned Off at Cattlemen's Ball

Lincoln, NE (PRWEB) May 28, 2009

Tom Osborne along with Husker coaches Bo Pelini, John Cook, Doc Sadler, Connie Yori and Mike Anderson contributed their autographs to custom made Nebraska Husker Boots to be auctioned off at the Cattlemen's Ball, held in Doniphan, NE, June 5-6, in an effort to reach this year's goal of raising $1,000,000 for Cancer research.

The autographed Nebraska Husker Boots will be in good company. For, this year's Cattlemen's Ball theme, "Give Cancer the Boot", has reeled in boots autographed by several state and national celebrities, including Omaha billionaire Warren Buffet, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, actor and musician Kevin Costner and his band and country singer Brad Paisley.

Earlier this year, the Cattlemen's Ball contacted Fort Western Stores, Nebraska's largest Western wear outfitters located in Lincoln and Nebraska City, NE, asking for a boot donation. The Fort then teamed up with Patrick Combs, "The Voice of Memorial Stadium" and Froggy 98 (http://www.froggy981.com) to take their boot donation to the next level by inviting Tom Osborne and all five Husker coaches to autograph not one but two pairs of boots. The coaches graciously agreed to lend their autographs to the boots to support the cause--with one request by Husker football coach Bo Pelini--"they have to be red". To fulfill Bo's request, the Fort Western's staff of experts collaborated to custom design a one-of-a-kind pair of ladies' size 8 and men's size 10 ½, red and cream colored, Nebraska Husker Boots.

In March, Fort Western (http://www.fortwestern.com) presented their design to Anderson Bean Boots in Mercedes, TX where the autographed boots were hand-crafted from red and cream leather with a big red Nebraska "N" inlayed across the front and back. The two boots, alone valued at more than $500 a pair, include three signatures on the top of each for a total of six signatures per pair including UNL Athletic Director Tom Osborne, Football Coach Bo Pelini, Volleyball Coach John Cook, Men's Basketball Coach Doc Sadler, Women's Basketball Coach Connie Yori and Baseball Coach Mike Anderson. A pair of the Nebraska Husker Boots can be seen on display at the Fort Western Stores, Lincoln location prior to the event.

"Many friends of the Fort have experienced the effects of cancer on someone close to them so, it's a cause that's very dear to us here. And, it's why, when the committee came to us asking for a boot donation we felt compelled to do more than just pull a pair of boots off the shelf. It took a lot more time and planning to have the Nebraska Husker Boots custom made but I'm confident it will be well worth it, especially in a state like Nebraska where people are as passionate about football as they are about helping others in need," C. Steven Wohlfarth, General Manager, Fort Western Stores.

Husker fans may place their bids by proxy on the Catttlemen's Ball Website or at the event during the "Famous Boots Auction" on Saturday, June 6, 2009. Ticket information and a schedule of events can be found on the Cattlemen's Ball Website (http://www.cattlemensball.com). Auction winners will be announced at the ball on June 6, 2009.

About The Fort Western Stores
Fort Western Stores is a national leader in Western lifestyle apparel and merchandise, located in Lincoln, NE and Nebraska City, NE. The family owned business, founded in 1972 by Carl and Shirley Wohlfarth, has grown from a 1600 Square foot retail store to two retail store locations and into a comprehensive multi-channel marketer, extending it's reach worldwide through catalog and the Web. For more information on Fort Western Stores visit http://www.fortwestern.com.

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