The Montgomery County FFA chapter held its annual labor auction on Nov. 9 at Ballew & Snell Court at Montgomery County High School to help raise money for various events throughout the school year, including a trip to Washington D.C. for the Washington Leadership Conference.

Six members will go to the nation’s capital next year to participate in the conference. They are Beckham Cothren, Brayden Harris, Jonah Happe, Riley Reid, Avery Ridgley and Landon Pottebaum.

“It will be fun,” Happe said. “I know it’s a once in a lifetime experience with everything you get to see and all of the memorials and stuff that not a lot of people get to see. You’ll get to go meet a lot of FFA members, have fun doing it and give back to people who don’t have a lot. It will be fun.”

The FFA group raised $16,155 in the auction, including $2,350 for the Washington trip. About 40 FFA members participated in the event, which included a chili and soup supper. The auctioneers were Foster Farms, Bader Farms and Korman Auctions.

“It brings a lot of people together,” Happe said. “People have fun and people enjoy it. They ask people about it and when it’s happening.”

In the labor auction, each FFA member is sold once. All members who are attending the Washington Leadership Conference will sell a second time. All of the money will go toward the conference costs. Members have agreed to work a total of eight hours. The eight hours of work should be completed by the end of the school year.

Harris, a junior, raised $750 in his two trips to the auction stand, including $475 from Bubba and Patty Ludy. The money Harris received from the Ludys will help pay for the Washington trip.

“Bubba is a buddy of my father’s, so it’s pretty cool having him buy me and getting me the experience to go to Washington because I have never been to Washington,” Harris said. “I think it will be really cool to learn all of the leadership skills.”

Happe raised $825, including $500 from the Weekley family. The money Happe got from the Weekleys will help pay for the trip out east.
The Washington Leadership Conference is a hands-on event designed for FFA members who are ready to take their leadership skills to the next level.

The selection process for the Washington trip is simple. FFA members just have to sign up and attend a meeting.

“You’ll get the rundown of how much it was going to cost and what you have to do to go,” said Happe, who is the chapter’s reporter.

Junior Ava Rakers raised the most money out of the FFA members. She was purchased for $1,375 by Mike Auchly.

The auction began with six pairs of members participating. Dallas Hans and Lafe McCurdy raised $450, more than any other pair.

The FFA’s next event will be the Winter Banquet at 6 p.m. on Nov. 16 at MCHS.

“We all get to meet here and have fun with all of our FFA members,” Harris said. “It’s really cool with all of the little things our FFA club does.”