National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) members came together at the 2025 National Junior Angus Show (NJAS) with a mission to give back through the Angus Impact project. Members representing states across the country brought nearly 1,000 pounds (lb.) of pop tabs, which were donated to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Tulsa in Oklahoma.
Jonwyn Ayres, vice chairman of the 2024-2025 National Junior Angus Board (NJAB), oversaw planning the annual service project.
“The original thought behind this awesome program was: how can Angus families simplistically make an impact with things they can pack in their trailer?” Ayres shares.
After the success of the 2024 Angus Impact project, which donated pop tabs to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Madison in Wisconsin, the NJAB decided to continue outreach again this year. States spent all year collecting to prepare for the final weigh-in at the NJAS steer scale.
“Not only does it have a direct impact on people outside of our community, it’s an intentional way for states to get competitive for something that has so much meaning,” Ayres says.
State associations capitalized on the opportunity to compete for a cause. Nebraska juniors earned top donor, beating Tennessee by only 15 pounds (lb.). That might seem like a lot when it comes to pop tabs, but 15 lb. was just a small amount of what these states brought in. In total, Nebraska brought 365 lb., while Tennessee had 350 lb.
Along with pop tabs, states also brought in items like DVDs as well as Xbox and board games, to further support families at the Ronald McDonald House. The Impact Project and items collected supported the charity’s mission to provide a comfortable, home-like setting for families when children are receiving treatment at nearby hospitals.
“People might not have seen it, but many of those back offices were absolutely full of those different Impact program items,” Ayres says.
Angus Impact is the official community service program of the NJAA. The goal of the project is to help state junior associations be the change through acts of service.
View results of the 2025 NJAS, including shows, contests, awards and scholarships at www.njas.info. Additional coverage is also available on the NJAA Facebook page and in the September issue of the Angus Journal.
