Cenex Celebrates Winners of 'Hometown Throwdown' Contest
INVER GROVE HEIGHTS, Minn. — Cenex, the energy brand of CHS Inc., will help three winners of its "Hometown Throwdown" contest bring their unique celebrations to the next level.
The Norborne Soybean Festival in Norborne, Mo., will receive $100,000 as the grand prize winner. The contest's other two finalists — Hayward Musky Festival in Hayward, Wis., and Roseau Fall Harvest Festival in Roseau, Minn. — will each receive $25,000.
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As the self-proclaimed, "Soybean Capital of the World," Norborne has been celebrating its agricultural roots since 1982, according to Cenex. Held annually each August, the 100% volunteer-run Norborne Soybean Festival features entertainment for all ages, including a soy coin hunt, soy doughnuts, agriculture in the classroom, and the naming of a new King or Queen Soybean.
Cenex launched the "Hometown Throwdown" social media contest in fall 2023. The company encouraged local pride by asking people and organizations to share what makes their hometown festival unique. More than 500 festivals were submitted during the entry period.
"We couldn't be more pleased with the response we received for 'Hometown Throwdown.' We love seeing the pride people have for their local communities and it's clear there's no shortage of that in Norborne, Mo." said Erin Wroge, senior director of energy marketing at CHS Inc. "A big congratulations from all of us at Cenex to the Norborne Soybean Festival. We were truly impressed with all three festivals in the running for the grand prize and we're looking forward to fostering community pride across the Cenex footprint for years to come."
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"Hometown Throwdown" was inspired by the Cenex brand's strong local roots and is a continuation of its long history of giving back to the communities it calls home. The brand is local to its core with all 1,400-plus retail locations across 19 states run by members of the community, the company said.
To date, Cenex has given more than $500,000 in grants to support local communities. These efforts have helped fund more than 80 community projects, including the improvement of aging baseball fields, providing athletic workshops in schools, supporting local food shelters, boosting community pride by funding local festivals and more.