Ham sells for $1 million at 56th annual Kentucky Farm Bureau country ham breakfast

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Every year at the Kentucky State Fair, a prize-winning ham is auctioned off and the proceeds go to charity, and it always brings out some of Kentucky's most influential people.

This year, the final bid was for $1 million.

“Once the bidding begins, there’s really no way to describe it, except sit down and buckle up, because you never know what’s going to happen,” Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture Ryan Quarles said. "And make sure when you raise your hand, you actually have the money to cover the bid.”

Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin was asked beforehand about his chances at the ham.

“I may get involved early,” Bevin said. “But, I guarantee you long before it gets to its final number I’ll be out.”

It’s not the record-setting $2.8 million ham of last year, but it’s still bringing people together from across the state.

“You have people from all over Kentucky,” Kentucky House Minority Leader Rocky Adkins said. “From rural areas to urban areas, and you really sense the true part of Kentucky in this room today.”

Central Bank put in the winning bid Thursday, a multiple-time winner of the ham.

“Our bank has been so blessed,” entral Bank President and CEO Luther Deaton Jr. said. “We’ve grown and people have trusted us, they’ve put faith in us, and we’ve got so many great customers. This is for all our employees and customers. We want to give back to our communities.”

Deaton said the money will go toward University of Kentucky Healthcare, St. Elizabeth Healthcare Cancer Research, The Markey Cancer Center, UK Athletics, and Transylvania University.

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