Giving Tuesday is November 30th this year. Each year, California FFA Foundation designates Giving Tuesday to raise funds for blue jackets for California FFA students who may not be able to afford one. Your $80 donation provides a jacket and a tie/scarf to a California FFA student member. Thanks to a match by Blue Diamond Growers of $25,000, every dollar you donate gets doubled.
In a year that jackets were not necessarily required, California Association FFA staff still wanted to provide students access to jackets. The discussion led to offering all 338 chapters the opportunity to apply for five chapter jackets. Agricultural teachers throughout California enthusiastically welcomed the opportunity to participate in the program. Over 630 jackets were provided to 111 chapters in California.
The advisors selected the sizes, and male or female jackets, for their chapter’s set of loaners. The jacket arrived with the chapter name embroidered on the back and a tie or scarf. The loaner jackets will be used by students that need a jacket for official California FFA competitions, events, or county fairs.
California FFA Center staff then worked with National FFA to streamline the process. Lisa Barger, Director of Merchandise & Membership Services, National FFA, says about the program, “Nationally, approximately 50% of FFA members do not have jackets for official functions, competitions, special events and state and national conventions. California FFA creatively met this need with their 2021 Chapter Jacket Loaner program and inspired more students to learn, grow and serve while in the blue jacket.”
Donate on Giving Tuesday, November 30th. You can donate on calaged.org or on California FFA’s fundraising event on Facebook. Thank you for your support!
