Mayor kisses pig for charity

Published 10:42 am Friday, August 9, 2013

Austin Mayor Tom Stiehm kissed this “big ugly pig” for charity on Wednesday.

Austin Mayor Tom Stiehm kissed this “big ugly pig” for charity on Wednesday.

In the name of a good cause, Austin Mayor Tom Stiehm kissed a pig Wednesday.

Mower County 4H ambassadors have been taking votes daily at the fair to decide which farm animal a local celebrity has to kiss. Fairgoers donate money to vote for an animal, and the animal with the largest dollar amount wins. The money benefits the Feds Feed Families program.

The hog Stiehm kissed beat out a horse and a dairy cow.

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“I kissed a big ugly pig,” Stiehm laughed. “It’s for charity … I’m just glad to help out in any way I can.”

On Tuesday, Rep. Jeanne Poppe, DFL-Austin, kissed a chicken.

The Feds Feed Families campaign, lead by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, runs through Aug. 28. Since the campaign began in 2009, federal workers have donated and collected 15.2 million pounds of food and other non-perishable items to support families across America, according to the USDA website.