ALDINE A new auctioneer, more show entries, and vertical groups with record donated amounts of money all combined to make last Friday night an outstanding event for 58 student exhibitors, at the 49th Annual Aldine FFA Livestock Show and Sale.
Last year, the FFA Livestock Show& FCCLA Country Fair as it is named, raised a total of $112,950 for the exhibitors. This year the total came to $155,500 before any resale figures were taken into account.
Prices were considerably higher than previous years, due to the aforementioned largess. An example would be the Grand Champion Steer, raised by Ashlee Palermo of Nimitz High School. It was purchased by First Construction Group for $19,000, compared with last years price of $18,000 which was also a record.
The money raised by the students is theirs to use for college scholarships or to fund future FFA projects during the 2008-09 school year.
Franklin Higgins, director of career and technology education, and in charge of the show, said We are so pleased and proud that our students hard work was so richly rewarded. We are also so thankful and appreciative to the many members of the Aldine community, from our business partners to school district staff, who committed their resources and time in support of our students. This years show was indeed a great success.
This years auctioneer was Nick Hinze, of Missouri City, who kept the action moving and the prices high. Ag teachers who helped with the show included Aldines Bobby Josey, Michael Kocian, and Kimberly Kohler, Eisenhowers Troy Carlisle and Andrea Johnson, MacArthurs Dexter Arkadie and Sarah Fish, and Nimitzs Michael Johnson and Chris Ruscher.
Community organizations that helped with the show included Aldine Optimist Club, who held a raffle for additional scholarships, the Greenspoint Rotary Club, who sponsored banners for the grand and reserve champions, and Component Sales and Services Steve Mead, sponsoring the Sale of Champions.
The outstanding buyers included First Construction Group, W. G. Burchfield, Axa Equitable, UBS Financial, First Southwest Bank, Beasley Tire, Republic Central Realty, Kidd Pipeline, Jostens, Optimist Club, John Kohler III, North Houston Bank, JSD Auto, Fisher Meats and McCauley Lumber.
In addition, a major influence in they buying was the school groups, including the Vertical Groups from each high school, the Superintendents Group, the Buyers Group from Aldine HS, the Lasso Club, the Operations Group. The vertical groups had raised $63,000 to bid toward the exhibitors.
Other highlights of the event included a special award to Laura Reyes of Nimitz High School for her artwork, and musical presentation by the MacArthur High School Choir.
The event was held in the newly renovated and expanded M. O. Campbell Center, on Aldine Bender Road.
