Help the FFA by buying a raffle ticket for a tractor at the Eastern Idaho State Fair
Published at | Updated at
BLACKFOOT — Locals can participate in the Idaho FFA Foundation tractor raffle at the Eastern Idaho State Fair this week.
Saydee Longhurst, this year’s Idaho FFA state president, said the Idaho FFA Foundation is raffling off a John Deere tractor to raise money for scholarship funds for high school seniors.
“I think the main purpose of it (the raffle) is to bring awareness to the FFA organization itself as well as bring awareness of what Idaho agriculture has to offer, ” Longhurst said.
Longhurst said the tractor unit is donated by a farmer every year and it travels all over the state promoting FFA and the Tractor Raffle Scholarship fund all year round. She said people can enter for a chance to win the tractor by purchasing the $10 raffle tickets, and 100 percent of the proceeds go to the scholarship fund.
She said the perfect time to purchase a raffle ticket will be Friday at the fair because guests will be able to support FFA members competing in livestock judging, horse judging and horse showing. The showing will be held at the west end of the field.
The raffle runs all year until the drawing at the state leadership conference in Twin Falls in April 2019, according to Longhurst. Last year the association was able to give out over $21,000 in scholarships, and she was a recipient of one them. Scholarship winners will also be announced at that event.
Longhurst said the tractor unit is at the Eastern Idaho State Fair near the FFA welding project.
Patrick Smith, assistant manager of a Les Schwab Tire Center in Idaho Falls said he agreed to support the FFA by housing the tractor, a week prior to the event. He said the tractor will travel to tire centers all over Idaho like places in American Falls, Pocatello, Rigby and other places, to get as much money as possible for the scholarship fund.
Smith said Les Schwab tire center has helped out farmers with their tire needs in the past, and the company likes to support the local community. He said he hopes people can come out to the fair to support these kids.
“It’s really cool when there is a farmer that gives their tractor away … and then that people can actually help families that don’t have enough of money (to do FFA at) school,” Smith said.
According to the Idaho FFA Foundation website the unit is a 1974 John Deere 1530 tractor equipped with a loader and rear blade. The Idaho FFA state leadership conference goes from April 3-6 in Twin Falls at the College of Southern Idaho.