For Magnolia students who were unable to sell their livestock at the Montgomery County Fair April 13–22, there is still hope to be compensated for all the hard work put in on the farm.

The eighth annual Magnolia Youth Livestock Show and Sale—set for Saturday April 28—gives students another chance to sell their work.

"We try to provide an outlet for kids to sell their projects for a little bit of money so they're not at a dead end after all the effort they put in over the past six months," said MYLS president Lisa Bodway. "It also gives them some money to turn around and purchase a project for next year."

Before MYLS, many students were left with animals after the Montgomery County Fair that they could not afford to keep and did not know what to do with, Bodway said.

"There was no program in place so a group of local 4-H and [Future Farmers of America] parents got together and started the show from scratch," she said.

Students use the show to sell pigs, heifers, goats, lambs, rabbits, turkeys and chickens. Bidding usually starts at around $200 and, depending on the animal, can go up to around $1,000, Bodway said.

In addition to taking home prize money, students can also win belt buckles for top-selling animals.

"Sometimes the monetary reward is not as important to the kids as the belt buckles," Bodway said. "A lot of our past winners take great pride in them."

The event also features a silent auction and live raffle. Prizes include a gas grill, a jewelry set and packages from Rancher's Meat in Bellville.

Money raised through the auction goes to the event's scholarship fund. The committee awards scholarships to up to four students each year to support secondary education. Students must be in the top 50 percent of their class and have participated in the show for at least two years to apply. The deadline to apply this year is May 1.

"We've given out $51,000 over our first seven years," Bodway said. "We're very proud to be able to say that."

The Magnolia Youth Livestock Show and Sale takes place at the Agricultural Center at Magnolia High School, located at 14350 FM 1488, Magnolia. Check-in and registration begins at 8 a.m., and the showing goes from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. A live auction begins at 4 p.m., followed by the raffle ticket drawing.