The Voinovich Livestock and Trade Center was bustling with energy on July 30 as 4-H’ers and their celebrity counterparts prepared for the Ronald McDonald House (RHMC) Celebrity Steer Show at the Ohio State Fair.
One team, consisting of Fayette County 4-H member Bryson Dean; Steve Sylvester of Columbia Gas of Ohio, NiSource; and Kyle Beachy, an anchor and reporter with NBC4, shared this excitement as they got ready to enter the show ring as members of the team Johnny’s Charity Champions.
Sylvester, who currently works as the vice president of health, safety, and environmental execution at NiSource and serves on the board of trustees for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio, could not contain his enthusiasm for the Celebrity Steer Show.
“This has been outstanding experience from start to finish,” said Sylvester. “The Deans have been a great family to work with, and they have done so much to help raise money for the Ronald McDonald House.”
While this was Sylvester’s first time showing an animal, he is not new to livestock shows and the world of 4-H. “My kids were 4-H members in Fairfield County and 
showed a variety of animals over the years. I always enjoyed watching them compete, so it’s been a lot of fun going inside the ring and learning how to show myself,” he said. “Bryson’s also been a great teacher, so that helps a lot.”
In addition to teaching Sylvester and Beachy the ins and outs of showing a steer, Dean has done his part to raise money for his team leading up to the Celebrity Steer Show.
During the Fayette County Fair, Dean chose to donate half of his sale earnings to the Ronald McDonald House of Central Ohio. To keep the generosity going, the Fayette County Cattle Feeders agreed to donate all tips collected throughout the fair to Dean’s team. As a result, more than $6,000 were raised to support the Ronald McDonald House.
Dean has been working with his steer Johnny, aptly named after the veterinarian who saved his life during the birthing process, for nearly two years.
“He got stuck in the birth canal and wasn’t going to survive until a vet named Johnny saved him using a technique called the Madigan squeeze. We decided to name the steer Johnny as a result.”
Dean is the second Fayette County 4-H member who has ever been nominated to compete in the Ronald McDonald House Charity Steer Show, and he and his family were honored to be asked to participate.
Coming from a multigenerational 4-H family, Dean has always had his family’s support while preparing for shows, and this did not change as Dean worked with his celebrity teammates.
Sylvester and Beachy even made a trip to the Dean’s farm earlier this year to participate in some training lessons. “It’s been really fun getting to teach Steve and Kyle how to show,” said Dean. “They’ve picked everything up pretty easily.”
Ultimately, Johnny’s Charity Champions’ work paid off, as their team was able to raise more than $48,000 in support of the Ronald McDonald House. Dean also had the honor of being named this year’s 4-H Champion at the conclusion of the RHMC Celebrity Steer Show.
To learn more about this year’s show and the impact of Ronald McDonald House Charities, visit the 2025 Celebrity Steer Show webpage.