Abby FFA Alumni stay busy in 2019-20

The members of the Abbotsford FFA Alumni, under the leadership of President Becky Ruesch, have had a busy year supporting the members of the Abbotsford FFA Chapter.

Serving as secretary this year is Ruth Kunze, with Tami Kunze serving as treasurer for the organization.

A major event that takes place during the year is the annual Abbotsford Dairy Breakfast, which occurs the first Sunday in June and is sponsored by the Abbotsford FFA Alumni. Over 100 volunteers from the community are needed to help with the breakfast, making preparations for the meal, helping to serve the food, parking cars, and, finally, cleaning up after the breakfast is completed.

Last year, the 31st Annual Breakfast was held at Bender Farms located two miles east of Dorchester off of CTH A. The farm is owned by Dean and Sue Bender and their son, Devin, and his family. Over 1,300 people were served during the breakfast, which went from 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

This year’s breakfast is planned to take place on Sunday, May 31, at the David and Becky Ruesch family farm located a few miles from Abbotsford.

With money raised from the breakfast, scholarships are given to high school graduates and members of the Abbotsford FFA chapter who are attending college or technical schools and majoring in agriculture programs.

This past year, four students received scholarship money from the FFA Alumni to further their education.

Financial support was also given to four FFA members who attended the national FFA Convention this past fall in Indianapolis.

Students exhibiting at the Wisconsin Valley Fair and the Athens Fair are also helped financially to offset their costs for showing their animals. Assistance is given to exhibitors at the Athens Fair who show dairy cattle and horses by purchasing halters given out at the awards program.

The most outstanding dairy exhibitor awards given out at the Wisconsin Valley Fair are provided by the Abbotsford FFA Alumni.

FFA Alumni members also assist with the tillage, planting and harvesting of the 18-acre school plot near the high school where corn and soybeans are grown.

The FFA Alumni also sponsors a picnic in the summer after completion of the Dairy Breakfast where alumni members and their families who help with the breakfast can enjoy some time together.

The FFA Alumni recently held its annual banquet at the Curtiss Travel Center on Jan. 13. Scholarships were presented at the banquet to Logan Ruesch and Melanie Kunze, who graduated last spring and are now attending college.

The FFA Alumni meets on a monthly to bimonthly basis. Anyone interested in helping to support the work of the organization is invited to become a member of the alumni.