LEXINGTON, Ky. – Is it a good thing to give back? Some former FFA members think so.

Former students who value their experiences in the agriculture program at Lyon County High School have joined an initiative to raise $100,000 to show their appreciation for local agriculture teachers and FFA advisors past and present. Proceeds from the endowment will directly benefit the Lyon agriculture education program.

The funds will be endowed as part of the Kentucky FFA Foundation’s Forever Blue program. If the group reaches its fundraising goal, $4,000 to $5,000 would be available to the Lyon County agricultural education program each year.

“The funds could be used to support student success through scholarships to FFA leadership camps and conferences, FFA jackets, to help students start supervised agricultural experience projects, or for other programs that benefit ag education and the community,” said Sheldon McKinney, executive director of the Kentucky FFA Foundation. “We manage the money and make sure it meets the donor’s intent.”

According to McKinney, the donor can direct 5 percent of that gift to a local chapter of his or her choice.

“To date we have six major gifts of $30,000 from individuals,” McKinney said. “We started doing these gift endowments since 2020. We’re the first state in the country to develop a program like this where people can make an endowed gift to our Foundation.”

Lyon native Dwight Armstrong and his two brothers, Jeff and Randy, have supported FFA as a way to honor their former teacher, Ray Fowler. When Dwight Armstrong learned of the Forever Blue Endowment Fund, he saw an opportunity to make donations to make an even more direct impact on the community where the brothers got their start. He contacted other former members of the Lyon County FFA, asking if they wanted to contribute to the fund. The response has been very positive.

Lyon County FFA alumni is made up of many who have become leaders both at home and around the nation. Among other positions within the agriculture industry, Armstrong served as COO and CEO of the National FFA Organization for seven years. His brother, Jeff, is the president of California Polytechnic State University. Randy lives on his family farm in Lyon County after retiring from a career as administrative vice president for Jim Smith Contracting.

Other Lyon County FFA alumni include David Beck (president and CEO of Kentucky Venues), Paul Akridge (president of Akridge Farm Supply) and Jay Akridge, provost and executive vice president of academic affairs and diversity at Purdue University.

The common thread among all these men is having an agriculture teacher who motivated them. The names of Clyde Grace, Ray Fowler and Stanley DeBoe are names they spoke about again and again.

“Mr. Fowler was always concerned about a student’s future and I realized he really cared about us,” Beck said. “It was very meaningful to me. It also taught me that you never know who you are impacting.”

Jay Akridge echoed that sentiment. “Mr. Fowler was an incredibly dedicated and passionate ag teacher,” he said. “He insisted on excellence in all you did. That’s so helpful, and it’s something you don’t fully appreciate until after you leave high school.”

Added McKinney, “Besides the Armstrongs, Becks and Akridges, a host of other families and individuals have joined the initiative as founding donors. They haven’t forgotten the influence made by their agriculture teachers, and want to ensure that future Lyon County agriculture students and FFA members have the opportunities they did.”

To contribute to the Lyon County Agriculture Teacher Appreciation Endowment, or for more information about other endowments, contact Sheldon McKinney at 606-782-4620.

“It’s clear that Lyon County FFA has influenced generations of strong leaders,” McKinney said. “They believe in the power of agricultural education to the point that they’ll put their money behind it to ensure that future generations of kids growing up in Lyon County have the same opportunities they did.”