Cenex®, the energy brand of CHS Inc., recently joined the organizers of the Norborne (Mo.) Soybean Festival to present the brand’s Hometown Throwdown competition $100,000 grand prize.
Isaac Brizendine, a Missouri-based retail brand development specialist at CHS, presented the grand-prize check to Kyle Durham, a member of the Norborne Soybean Festival Committee, during the festival’s opening ceremony.
The Hometown Throwdown social media competition, which was inspired by the Cenex brand’s strong local roots, is a continuation of its efforts to give back, support and celebrate the communities it calls home.
Participants were encouraged to share what makes their hometown festivals unique and more than 500 submissions were received. The Norborne Soybean Festival was selected as a finalist this spring and later voted the grand-prize winner through the competition’s open voting period.
As the self-proclaimed “Soybean Capital of the World,” Norborne has been celebrating its agricultural roots since 1982. Held each August, the Norborne Soybean Festival is a testament to the hard-working, generous and humble people of Norborne.
The festival, which is run entirely by volunteers, is rooted in tradition, local pride and community engagement, bringing the Norborne community together for soy coin hunts, ag demonstrations in the classroom, naming of a King or Queen Soybean and more.
The Cenex brand team brought some extra fun to the festival with a Hometown Throwdown branded photo bus. Festivalgoers were able to hop aboard the classic VW to take photos with their family and friends, which were then printed to take home. The brand also handed out cooling towels, which were a hit in the 90-degree heat.
“At Cenex, community is at our core. We are deeply committed to supporting the local communities our dealers and retailers call home, and honoring what makes them truly unique,” says Cassie Reule, senior marketing manager at CHS Inc.
“We loved seeing the pride the Norborne community brings to this celebration and the way this festival brings locals together to strengthen those community ties when it came time to celebrate,” she adds. “We’re looking forward to continuing to foster community pride across the Cenex footprint for years to come.”
Organizers will utilize the $100,000 grand prize to fund efforts to help the Norborne Soybean Festival continue to grow and thrive, ensuring the celebration remains a cornerstone event for the Norborne community.
