Cleveland, TN – From a simple email received prior to the Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition this past October, came the presentation of the keys to a pink CS2410 Subcompact KIOTI 
Tractor equipped with a loader and mid-mount mower, to Karen Massengale on December 21, 2012 by Thomas MacArthur, Southeastern Territory Manager for KIOTI Tractor.
The longtime nurse and her husband Don planned to attend the show with a group from their local Rhea County Farm Bureau. Before leaving for the show, the couple received an email announcing that a pink tractor would be on display in KIOTI Tractor’s exhibition booth to help raise awareness of Breast Cancer during National Breast Cancer Awareness month. The company would be accepting silent bids throughout the show for the tractor, with the proceeds being donated to breast cancer research, prevention and treatment. Upon receipt of the email, they decided they’d each enter a bid to support the cause.
“With Karen being a nurse and me a paramedic, we understand the importance of donations to the advancement of medical research,” states Don Massengale. “And of course like most, we’ve been personally touched by breast cancer over the years as we’ve watched friends and family members fight the disease.”
The Massengale’s made bidding on the pink KIOTI tractor into a family competition. According to Karen, after arriving at the exposition, she and Don split up to look at different demos, exhibits and equipment, meeting up later in the day for lunch. During lunch Don asked her if she had seen the tractor and placed her bid. She had not, but he had, though he refused to tell her how much he offered. Following lunch, the couple walked over to KIOTI Tractor’s booth, with Karen entering her initial bid. When she told Don what she bid, he wished her luck as she had outbid him. On the ride back to the hotel that evening, Don told Karen he thought that most people would place a bid at an even amount and suggested she go back the next day and make her bid an odd number. She did just that.
Just a few days later, Karen received a phone call from KIOTI Tractor notifying her that she had placed the winning bid. “I never imagined we’d actually win the tractor,” she said. “I am so excited to own this limited edition tractor and to continue to generate awareness and support for breast cancer in our local community.”
Upon receipt of the news, Karen began working with Elizabeth Turner of River Valley Ag Credit to acquire the financing to complete the purchase. Turner, whose mother is a 7-year breast cancer survivor rallied to get the company’s typical loan fees waived and an aggressive finance rate for the purchase. “Breast Cancer is near and dear to me,” states Turner. “I was more than willing to do anything I could do to help with the purchase and support breast cancer research.”
With a 200 acre Century Farm in Dayton, Tennessee, the Massengale’s are both well educated and passionate when it comes to tractors. The new KIOTI CS2410 will be the 6th tractor in their fleet. Its primary use will be to complete general maintenance around the Massengale’s family owned and operated cattle farm.
“The KIOTI CS2410 subcompact tractor has a small footprint. Its compact size combined with its heavier weight construction, power and versatility; make it ideal for handling our daily lawn and garden work.”
“The Massengale’s fit the profile of our typical KIOTI Tractor customer,” says Neil Groothuis of Homestead Lawn and Tractor Co. of Cleveland, Tennessee, the local Authorized KIOTI Tractor Dealer. “We were so pleased to hear of KIOTI’s donation and pleasantly surprised that a customer in our local area had been the winner. Having representatives from KIOTI, the Rhea County Farm Bureau and Ag Credit at our dealership to present the keys to Karen and Don the Friday before Christmas was quite special and something myself and all our employees will remember for quite some time.”
Upon receipt of the keys, the Massengale’s happily posed for photographs next to their new KIOTI CS2410, even nicknaming the new tractor Angie in honor of David Pettus’, a Product Support Specialist for KIOTI Tractor, late wife Angie who passed away from Breast Cancer. Pettus volunteered to drive the pink tractor from KIOTI Tractor’s North American headquarters in Wendell, NC to Cleveland, TN for delivery to the Massengale’s.
KIOTI Tractor donated the $15,267.00 raised through the silent auction of the pink CS2410 subcompact tractor to the UNC Lineberger Cancer Center, one of the leading cancer centers in the nation, located in Chapel Hill, NC. Two additional CS2410’s have been painted pink for 2013. One will be displayed with a silent auction held at the National Farm Machinery Show from February 13th-16th in Louisville, Kentucky. The other will be on tour throughout Canada this spring and summer. All proceeds from both tractors will be donated to cancer research and prevention.
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