Arizona FFA Foundation News

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The 8th annual Blue & Gold Gala is just around the corner! The silent auction will open January19th. You can participate in the silent auction even if you did not have an opportunity to secure a ticket to the event. Register at www.blueandgold.org so you may receive notifications when the auction opens up. We have a large selection of incredible packages! Those that are outside the valley will be responsible for the postage of any packages won through the auction or you may make arrangements to pick them up in Peoria.

Each year the level of packages for the live auction seem to just surpass the previous year. We are so grateful for the generous donations to the live and silent auction. Check out the packages below and you can view more details on the event site www.blueandgoldgala.org.

If you are interested in bidding on a live auction package and unable to attend, please reach out for a proxy form. Proxy forms are due by Monday, January 22, 2024. Please email foundation@azffafoundation.org.

Be a part of 'The Biggest Night in Arizona Agriculture'!

Live Auction Packages:

Treat yourself to an exquisite piece of jewelry valued at $2,500 and a relaxing one-night stay at the Wigwam Resort. - Donated by Osborne Jewelers and The Wigwam Resort
Gourmet Italian Dinner Experience for Eight. - Donated by Heritage Street Cooks
Houseboat stay on Lake Powell for 5 days at Antelope Marina. - Donated by Antelope Marina
BBQ for 100 - Arizona Farm Bureau Grill Team comes to you to prepare a BBQ meal to serve 100 people. This is great for a reunion, company party or other celebration. - Donated by Arizona Farm Bureau and Farm Bureau Financial Services
Carlsbad Condo Vacation - Five nights and sleeps up to six people. Minutes from the beach, beach toys, use of 6 person golf cart and much more. - Annonymous Donor
Golf Lovers Dream - $2,200 TPC Gift Card, Four General Admission Tickets to the Waste Management Open and Dierks Bently Birds Nest VIP Tickets for 2. - Donated by The Jace Roeder Foundation and Fertizona

We understand that not everyone will be attending this year's fundraising event, therefore we welcome and thank you for your involvement and support virtually. We welcome your participation by bidding on auction items and encourage you to place a donation for the support of the Arizona FFA and agriculture education. We THANK our donors for making it possible for this years fundraising event and we THANK YOU for participating through your donations and purchases.

Special Thank You to our Title Sponsor

Click here to make a donation, purchase raffle tickets or support the silent auction!

Gala Raffle - Experience Alaska

Grab your tickets for a chance to win this amazing Royal Caribbean Cruise to Alaska and two Alaska Airline tickets each valued at $1,250.

Enjoy a 7-night Alaska Cruise past fishing and majestic fjords aboard Royal Caribbean International to Alaska in a Veranda Stateroom for two and two roundtrip Alaska Airline vouchers each valued at $1,250.

· Only 250 tickets will be sold! Raffle Tickets are $100 each.

· Online ticket sales close on Friday, January 26, 2024, at 5:00 pm.

· Tickets will be available for purchase during the Blue & Gold Gala on Saturday, January 27, 2024.

· Drawing will be held during the Blue & Gold Gala on Janary 27, 2024.

Your trip for two includes:

• 7-night Alaska cruise on Royal Caribbean International

• Seattle, WA; Seward, AK; Vancouver, British Columbia embark ports

• Cruise fare for two as well as existing government fees and taxes (guests are responsible for incidentals they may wish to purchase while on the ship)

• Standard recommended gratuities

• Exciting destinations

• Daily meals

• Amazing entertainment daily

• A world of shipboard activities

• Well-appointed accommodations in a Veranda Stateroom

• State of the art health & fitness facilities

• Pre-hotel and post-hotel may be available for additional charge

Drink in the splendor of the seas as you make your way along the Alaskan coast, in and out of passages, past fjords, and miles and miles of wilderness. From the breathtaking sights of Hubbard Glacier to the pioneering spirit of Juneau, the gold-rush spirit of Skagway and the totem poles of Ketchikan, Royal Caribbean’s Alaska is as rustic and romantic as one could ever imagine. And with ports such as Seattle and Victoria, British Columbia, Royal Caribbean showcases the quintessential character of the Pacific Northwest.

When you cruise with Royal Caribbean International, you’re not just boarding another cruise ship – you’re entering a sensational world of bold discoveries, customized adventures, multi-cultural exploration, dazzling entertainment, incredible culinary creations, and uniquely personalized service. There’s a reason Royal Caribbean International has been recognized as the Best Cruise Line Overall and the Best Cruise Line in the Caribbean by Travel Weekly readers for 14 years. No matter where you are – the pool, the dining room, the spa or your room – get ready to be wowed!

Quaint fishing villages and cosmopolitan cities combine for a unique glimpse into Alaska’s character and culture. View the most dramatic Alaskan glaciers at the end of the narrow, twisting slice of ocean called Tracy Arm Fjord. The fever of the gold rush took over Skagway years ago, and still embracing its past, today the city has managed to preserve its frontier spirit with saloons and dance hall venues. Ketchikan is known for a few things as well: being the jumping off point for seaplane excursions into the Misty Fjords National Monument and its 2.2 million acres of wilderness nirvana, as well as being the ancestral home of the Tlingit tribe. You will make your way past Hubbard Glacier, nicknamed the 'Galloping Glacier' because of its fast pace – faster than almost any other glacier on the continent.

Sample itinerary: Vancouver, British Columbia; Inside Passage (Cruising); Icy Strait Point, Alaska; Juneau, Alaska; Haines, Alaska; Tracy Arm Fjord (Cruising), Alaska, Cruising; Vancouver, British Columbia.

For more details regarding the raffle, visit www.blueandgoldgala.org.

Purchase Gala Raffle Tickets Here

Arizona FFA Foundation Wins Two Awards

The Arizona Society of Association Executives recognized The Arizona Agricultural Education/FFA Foundation at the annual Awards Gala on December 19, 2023 at the Omni Tempe. This year the Foundation received two awards.

This is our third year being honored as an award recipient. This year we won the Awards of Excellence in Creative Funding for our 2023 Blue and Gold Gala and the Awards in Excellence in Education for the Career and Education Fair at the State FFA Leadership Conference. Accepting the awards this year was Farrah Smith, Foundation President-Elect and Gala Chair and Rochell Planty, Foundation Executive Director.

The Arizona Agricultural Education/FFA Foundation Recognizes

Bruce Cain as the 2024 Blue and Gold Honoree

It is a distinct honor to recognize an individual that has committed time, talent, and service to the FFA not only through the Foundation but also to many FFA chapters in Arizona. For the years of commitment and support to the Foundation Bruce Cain has been selected as the recipient of The Blue & Gold Award. The award recognizes an individual, group or organization that best supports the Foundation, the Arizona FFA youth and agriculture education.

Bruce Cain has served as the lead of the Farm Bureau Grill Team for many years. He not only organizes the BBQ’s but is responsible for preparing all the food, coordinating the schedules, traveling often to out of town locations and coordinating the Grill Team volunteers. For the past seven years he has prepared 11 BBQ’s that served about 100 people each that were sold through the Blue & Gold Gala live auction. His support raised more than $74,000 for agriculture education and FFA and this month that total will increase with the BBQ again as a part of the 8^th annual Blue & Gold Gala live auction on January 27th.

In addition, he has provided the catering for the Bustin Clay for FFA Trap Shoot the last three years and will provide the well-known BBQ again this April in Tucson for our event.

Bruce is originally from central Louisiana where he grew up on a family farm. He graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a Bachelor of Science degree and then decided to make life a go on the family farm. He and his family tilled about 2,000 acres, non-irrigated, and had a herd of approximately 500 crossbred Brahman cattle. If you have been farming or involved in the agriculture industry for many years, you know what happened to the industry in the late 1970s and early 1980s that explains some of why he left the farm in 1986.

Bruce has been married to his wife Vicki for more than 30 years. They have two daughters and two grandchildren. Staci, their oldest lives in Virginia with their two grandchildren, and Kristen lives here in Arizona not far from Bruce and Vicki. They have family that live in Louisiana and Texas. His mother continues to live on the family farm in rural Louisiana and remains connected to the farming community.

Click here to read more of his story.

The 10th annual Bustin' Clay for FFA Trap Shoot has a new home and date for 2024!

Join us on April 6th at the Tucson Trap & Skeet Facility for an incredible day to support agriculture education and FFA!

This event has sold out the past few years with 200 participants. We are thrilled to be able to expand the event this year.

Sponsorship Opportunities:

Lunch Sponsor
Double Barrel - Includes one team of 5 and trap sign
Photography Sponsor
Signage Sponsor
Trap Sponsor
Award Sponsor

Trap Shoot participants, sponsors and others will have an opportunity to join us the night before the event, on April 6, 2024, for a special reception at Casino Del Sol in Tucson.

This is a great event to be a part of to expand your network, meet new people, market your products or services and expand your company exposure through your support of a sponsorship level.

Don't delay, save the date and register today to secure your spot. Grab some friends, family or colleagues and join us on April 6,2024.

Grocery Shopping? You can Contribute to the Arizona Agricultural Education/FFA Foundation

Go to Frys Food, and sign in. Go to "My Account," then choose community rewards and select Arizona Agricultural Education/FFA Foundation as your organization. After that, each time you make a purchase using your Kroger Shopper's Card, Kroger will make a donation to the Foundation at no additional cost to you.

Seeds for Tomorrow

What are the benefits of giving to us through your will? Your assets remain in your control during your lifetime. You can modify your gift to address changes in your life. Under current tax law, there is no upper limit on the estate tax deduction for your charitable bequests.

To learn more about planned giving, visit https://azffafoundation.planned.gifts For more information, please contact Rochell Planty at Rochell@azffafoundation.org .