Contact: Ken Dean, Western Farm Show Manager
Lone Jack FFA Wins Western Farm Show Border Battle Food Drive
Students Collect Over 1,900 Items to Help Fight Hunger
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (March 5, 2015) – For the third time in the last four years, the Lone Jack, Mo., FFA
chapter collected the most items in the recent 2015 Western Farm Show “Border Battle” food drive. The FFA
students from Lone Jack C-6 High School donated 1,944 items and will win a $500 prize for their achievement.
They also donated in the most cans and other non-perishable food items at the 2012 and 2013 shows.
Lone Jack students were among 4,000 FFA members from Missouri and Kansas who participated in this
year’s Western Farm Show food drive. The 94 chapters collected and brought an impressive 7,642 pounds of
food items to the show – enough to provide 6,368 meals. This year’s total was more than twice that donated
last year.
Food collections were turned over to Harvesters Community Food Network, a regional food bank
based in Kansas City that serves a 26-county area of northwestern Missouri and northeastern Kansas.
Jessica Thomeczek, Lone Jack FFA advisor, said her students were motivated by having previously
volunteered at Harvesters Community Food Network. “When they realized how much food was needed, they
wanted to collect as much as they could to support the organization,” she said. “We conducted a school-wide
food drive, from seventh through twelfth grade, and our chapter was very excited to win.”
“Lone Jack and all of the other participating FFA chapters can be very proud of this achievement and
the knowledge that their efforts will directly help many in our region who are fighting hunger,” said Cory
Haves, Vice President of Training and Education for the Western Equipment Dealers Association, which owns
and produces the Western Farm Show. “We commend all of these students and their advisors for the hard
work and dedication they have shown in making this year’s Western Farm Show food drive such a huge
success.”
Other Missouri chapters with large collections this year included 2014 winner, the Windsor FFA, which
donated 1,771 food times this year; Holden FFA with 1,332 items; and DeKalb FFA with 1,196 items. Kansas
leading chapters included Southeast FFA with 542 items and Ft. Scott FFA with 125 items.
The 76 Missouri FFA chapters were able to claim “bragging rights” in this year’s Border Battle Food
Drive because their combined collections topped those of the 18 Kansas chapters.
About the Western Farm Show
The 2015 Western Farm Show was held Feb. 20-22 at the American Royal Complex in Kansas City. It
featured over 500 exhibitors and more than 400,000 square feet of floor space, showcasing one of the largest
indoor displays of farm equipment and other agricultural products in the Midwest. Other attractions included
the Low-Stress Livestock Handling Demonstration, the Health & Safety Roundup, Family Living Center and the
Championship Truck & Tractor Pull.
To learn more and see highlights from the 2015 show, visit www.WesternFarmShow.com, like us on
Facebook at www.facebook.com/WesternFarmShow and follow us on Twitter at
www.twitter.com/WesternFarmShow or Instagram at http://instagram.com/WesternFarmShow.