Aldine FFA celebrates ‘golden anniversary’ with record sales

The Grand Champion Steer was exhibited by Meagan Pasket

The Aldine ISD 50th Annual FFA Livestock Show & Country Fair concluded on Friday night of last week, and exhibitors and participants were pleased with record high sales figures. The proceeds are used for student expenses and scholarships, and this will be the best year ever held, according to Fair Director Franklin Higgins.

The Aldine ISD FFA Livestock Show and Country Fair had quite a 50th anniversary celebration! For the fourth consecutive year, a new sales record was established at the 50th annual Livestock Show, held Jan. 30 at the M.O. Campbell Educational Center, as members of the Aldine community pledged $216,000 for various projects, eclipsing the 2008 amount by $41,520.50.

The Sale of Champions was the culmination to two weeks of activities to celebrate the event’s 50th anniversary. A street festival, sponsored by the Greenspoint Chamber of Commerce, was held on Jan. 24. Also during the month of January, a gala was held to honor former students and on the morning of Jan. 30, a breakfast and art auction was held the morning of the Sale of Champions.

“This was such a wonderful way to celebrate 50 years of this show,” said Franklin Higgins, Aldine ISD’s director of career and technical education. “We worked on this event for two years and we want to thank the many volunteers and staff members who went above and beyond the call of duty to make this a special two weeks. We also want to thank the community for once again stepping forward to support our students and their projects. Every year our community and staff members step up to the plate and exceed what they contributed the year before. We had another successful show because so many people and groups made a special effort to support our students as buyers.”

In addition to the various vertical buyers’ groups that purchased student projects, the district operations department purchased all of the student projects that did not place, thus ensuring that those students would have some sort of monetary award for their hard work. Once those projects are processed, they will be donated to Aldine Y.O.U.T.H. and St. Monica’s Catholic Church.

The money raised by Aldine ISD Ag students is theirs to use for college scholarships or to fund future FFA projects during the 2009-2010 school year. Nimitz Senior High sophomore Meagan Pasket raised the grand champion steer, which was purchased by First Construction Group for a record-setting $20,0000 (last year’s grand champion steer sold for $19,000). The reserve grand champion steer was raised by Tanya Ryan of MacArthur Senior High. It was purchased by First Construction Group for $7,000.

The grand champion pig was raised by Tyler Kelch of Nimitz Senior High. It was purchased by Special “T” Trucking for $9,000. The reserve grand champion pig was raised by Ashura Bayyan of Aldine Senior High. It was purchased by the Aldine Vertical Group for $7,000.

The grand champion goat was raised by Hanna Eiland of Nimitz Senior High. It was purchased by the Nimitz Vertical Group for $9,000. The reserve grand champion goat was raised by Tyler Kelch of Nimitz Senior High and was purchased by the Eisenhower Vertical Group for $5,000.

The grand champion lamb was raised by Brandon Alcala of Nimitz Senior High. It was purchased by the Superintendent’s Group for $9,000. The reserve grand lamb was raised by Yessenia Nieto of MacArthur Senior High and was purchased by Beasley Tire Service, Inc., for $4,250.

The grand champion turkey Tom was raised by Cody Cloninger of MacArthur Senior High. It was purchased by the Finance Group for $6,000. The reserve grand champion turkey Tom was raised by Melanie Rivera of MacArthur Senior High. It was purchased by the MacArthurVertical Group for $2,750.

The grand champion turkey hen was raised by Andre Houston of Aldine Senior High. It was purchased by the Aldine Vertical Group for $6,500. The reserve grand champion turkey hen was raised by Amanda Ruscher of Nimitz Senior High. It was purchased by the Aldine’s Buyer Group for $2,250.

The grand champion broilers were raised by Hanna Eiland of Nimitz Senior High. They were purchased by the Aldine’s Buyers Group for $4,500. The reserve grand champion broilers were also raised by Ruscher and were purchased by AXA Equitable for $1,750.

The grand champion fryer rabbits were raised by Adrianne Alewine of Nimitz Senior High. They were purchased by AXA Equitable for $3,750. The reserve grand champion fryer rabbits were raised by Jared Fellers of Nimitz Senior High and were purchased by Z and V Cleaning for $2,500.

The grand champion horticulture project was produced by Tyler Kelch of Nimitz Senior High. It was purchased by the Nimitz Vertical Group for $2,000. The reserve grand champion horticulture project was produced by Meagan Pasket of Nimitz Senior High. It was purchased by the Nimitz Vertical Group for $1,000.

In recognition of the 50th anniversary
of the FFA Livestock Show and Country Fair, a 50th Anniversary Belt Buckle was produced by the Scholarship Fund. It was purchased by the Nimitz Vertical Group for $2,500. Additionally, the first-place scholarship cake was produced by Aldine Senior High and was purchased by the Aldine Vertical Group for $900, while MacArthur Senior High’s second-place scholarship cake was purchased by North Houston Bank for $700.

Click here to see the Grand Champions in each category of the Aldine ISD 50th Annual FFA Livestock Show & FCCLA Country Fair photo gallery!

NOT PICTURED:

7th PIG – Tamika Jackson, $3300
Buyer: Eisenhower Vertical Group

4th BROILERS – Tyler Kelch, $500
Buyer: Aldine Buyers Group

5th STEER – Taylor Palermo, $4030
Buyer: Nimitz Vertical Group

8th PIG – Johnice Jackson, $2100
Buyer: Aldine Buyers Group

5th GOAT – Amanda Johnson, $500
Buyer: MacArthur Vertical

5th LAMB – Steve Galarza, $1050
Buyer: MacArthur Vertical

5th BROILERS – Karla Velazquez, $550
Buyer: Superintendents Group

9th PIG – Leo Martinez, $1900
Buyer: McCauley Lumber

6th BROILERS -Christian Pinales, $850
Buyer: Michael Smith

10th PIG – Evelyn Manning, $1400
Buyer: Nimitz Vertical Group

6th GOAT – Jared Fellers, $600
Buyer: Mark Jaeger

11th PIG – Denzell Owens, $1400
Buyer: JSD Auto

6th LAMB – Karla Velazquez, $1350
Buyer: Superintendents Group

12th PIG – Devin Miller, $1000
Buyer: Operations Group

7th LAMB – Terence Parker, $3000
Buyer: Eisenhower Vertical Group

13th PIG – Jasmine Kosse, $1800
Buyer: MacArthur Vertical Group

7th GOAT – Samantha Casares, $1250
Buyer: First Construction Group

14th PIG – Benjamina Covarribus, $2000
Buyer: Aldine Vertical Group