9-year-old girl auctions her pet pig for $27,000 – what she did next made her a ‘local hero’
Community spirit and generosity often shine through in unexpected ways, especially when young people lead the charge. One young 4-H'er (person involved in the 4-H program, which focuses on agriculture, leadership, and community service) at the Fayette County Fair recently demonstrated just how powerful an act of kindness can be, surprising everyone with her selflessness and sparking a wave of generosity that continues to inspire, as reported by CBS News.
Harper Diamond, a 9-year-old participant in her second year at the fair, made an unforgettable impression during the livestock auction on Friday night. Showing her 270-pound pig, Cookie, Harper, a fourth-generation 4-H'er, decided to donate all the proceeds from the sale of her pig to help fund the construction of a new barn at the fairgrounds. "It's just letting kids grow to mature in life and learn things. Teaching responsibility, and like I said, agriculture is the backbone of this country, and it's just good to be able to give back, and I couldn't be any prouder of her," said CJ Diamond, Harper's father, explaining the importance of 4-H values.
Harper’s decision to donate her earnings took everyone by surprise, but the response from the crowd was nothing short of extraordinary. "She handed the auctioneer a piece of paper telling him that, and we were shocked, but the response was overwhelming," stated Linda Diamond, Harper’s grandmother. Typically, animals at the auction bring around $1,200, but in this case, the bidding skyrocketed. "A former 4-H member and his brother ran the bid up. They ran the pig to $42.50 a pound, which generated right around $13,000," mentioned Chris Diamond, Harper's grandfather. The generosity didn’t stop there. Inspired by Harper’s gesture, people in the crowd began adding extra money to the bid. "They would offer, 'Hey, I'd like to add $1 to that, another $2 for $5,' per pound that is, in the pig weight, I believe, was 270 pounds," recounted Chris Diamond.
In the end, the auction raised a remarkable $27,000 for the new pig barn. With the current barn set to be torn down after 50 years of service, the Fayette County Fair Association is leading the project to rebuild, but more funding is needed. "I mean, $42 a pound is a lot for just the, you know, basic marketplace, but the meat behind it, and the little girl that wants to make a difference, it just really, just really thankful to everybody," said Corey Diamond, Harper's mother. Thanks to Harper’s kind gesture, the new barn will help ensure that generations to come will have a place to showcase their hard work, just as Harper has done.