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Seasons Greetings,
This morning, nearly 4000 members of the NY FFA are waking up and taking action. The paths their first steps of the day take are as varied as the communities they live in. Chores in the barn, committee meeting in the ag room, getting ready for a speaking contest, doing homework, volunteering at a shelter, tearing apart an engine; the list is so massive, it could literally take thousands of words to present an accurate picture of the lives of our FFA members. Pictures often do a better job of telling a story than the words themselves. “Portraits of Appeal” is a 4 ½ minute video showcasing 60 FFA chapters in 60 images. From food and llama drives, to action in the classroom and the communities they serve, it is clear that our FFA youth are driven to serve, eager to succeed, and ready to accomplish their goals. The New York FFA Foundation is seeking alumni, parents, teachers, business owners, and others to lend their support to our organization. As a donor to the NY FFA you place yourself among a long list of supporters who take one action to support the action of thousands of FFA member.
If you enjoy “Portraits of Appeal”, please take one simple action that is more powerful than anything other. Join me in support of the New York FFA with an online gift or pledge today. Follow either of the links below to learn more about the NY FFA Foundation or to make a contribution to support the New York FFA.
With kind regards,
Todd Lighthall, Executive Director NY FFA Foundation, Inc. Proud Annual Donor Since 1995 
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Big Changes in Our Sponsorship Search for 2014 2000 people fill up Oswegatchie! Oswegatchie is looking for Sponsors for its Duck Race in April!
What to consider about a sponsorship for any organization! Oswegatchie has committed to giving out $5,000 in Cash Prizes! In addition, any other prize valued at $100 and easily mailed will also be a Major Race Prize! These Prizes are the prizes won in the actual Duck Race itself. Major Race Prize winners do not need to be present to win. Our other major sponsorship needs include our entertainers, kid’s area, volunteer shirts, and breakfast sponsors. These are crucial sponsors and a great way to get additional recognition the day of the race! We are also making a major change in Door Prizes. In 2013, we gave out 75 door prize tickets. These tickets are given to anyone that purchases a pancake breakfast, and people can buy additional tickets. Door prizes will be raffled using a "penny social" approach. Each prize has its own "hat". This allows ticket buyers to choose which prize to focus on, as opposed to having a first, second, third, etc. prize. Winners need to be present to win these prizes. All proceeds from the event go to benefit the Oswegatchie summer camp program. Every expense underwritten by a sponsor makes every dollar earned more powerful for the youth we serve. You can help by sponsoring a specific option below or give a general contribution. Contact us to discuss details regarding sponsors. Call (315) 346-1222 and ask for Bill or Todd. Email [email protected]. Major Sponsor Recognition: Major sponsors are recognized with signage the day of the race, listing with a hypertext link on our sponsors list, and promotion day of the event with prize award. For the Biggest Sponsor, we will give you exclusive placement on our website's footer with a hypertext link to your website. This is perfect for businesses with a state wide reach or local business looking for promotion. The official "biggest" sponsor will be posted by April 1st, however, if the biggest sponsor is $1,000 and a new sponsor for $2,000 steps forward, the new sponsor will override the former one. The $1,000 sponsor for the volunteer T-shirts will have advertising exclusivity on that item. We print 100+ highly visible shirts for volunteers yearly. We will place your organization name on the shirt. All sponsors of $1,000 or more will receive recognition our paid radio advertising which will run with the Flack Broadcasting Group. Major Sponsorships Needed: Cash Prizes $2000, $1000, $750, $500, $250, $100 (5) Bounce Houses $600 ADK Storyteller $600 Volunteer Shirts $1000 Breakfast Sponsors $1000 (2) Troy Wunderle Circus Show $1500 Event Sponsor Recognition Event sponsors are recognized with signage on the day of the race and listed with a hypertext link on our website. Door prizes will be raffled using a "penny social" approach. Each prize has its own "hat". This allows ticket buyers to choose which prize to focus on, as opposed to having a first, second, third, etc. prize. You will be recognized with signage at your item. Any door prize that is valued below $25, will be put in another category and all tickets from previous drawings will be added to that hat fr drawing. Even though people may have specialized on one "hat" this gives them a second chance to win. *In-Kind Value means it’s a donation that is not cash, but can still be given a cash value. For example, a bike donation may be valued at $125. Event Sponsorship Door Prizes Any Value In-Kind* Prizes Any Value Beverage Bar $300 Contact us to discuss details regarding sponsors. Call (315) 346-1222 and ask for Bill or Todd. Email us at [email protected]. Excelsior, Bill Waite Duck Master General  Get your Duck Bucks! Attention: Oswegatchie Adiron-Duck Race supporters
The Oswegatchie Adiron-DUCK Race is Sunday April 27th 2014. It’s our 20th year! We want to make sure YOU, our biggest supporters, are informed about all the ways your chapter can benefit! For every duck a school gets credit for selling, we will give that school 50% of that money back as "Duck Bucks". Duck Bucks can be used anytime in the next 12 months for any purchases made at Oswegatchie. This includes summer camp fees, winter weekends, Environmental Leadership Programs, and store purchases. There are two methods that you can use to feather your chapter’s nest with “Duck Bucks” 1. Commit to selling a “flock” of ducks. This is the traditional method which chapters have used to sell ducks for the past 20 years! You commit to a batch of ducks whether it be 25 or 200, you take your lot and you work through students or Alumni to sell them in your community. We do not take ducks back so the number of ducks you request are yours to keep. This is the most lucrative strategy! 2. We now have our website set up to allow individuals to purchase ducks on-line, and they can also select which FFA Chapter they want their purchase to benefit. This means money can be allotted to your chapter with no effort from you! All you have to do is spread the word and get people to go on-line, buy a ducks, and selected your chapter to benefit. The combination of the two methods will give your chapter the best results. Having physical duckuments to sell is great for local supporters and chapter events. Having the ability to direct people on-line is great for folks that are interested but don’t have cash at the moment, or for additional sales after you have sold all of your requested flock. EXTRA BIG DEAL! Not only will FFA Chapters get 50% of their sales in “Duck Bucks”, but the FFA Chapter that sells the most ducks will get an additional Free Campership for this summer! In 2013, 21 schools took flocks of ducks and received some on-line sales, an additional 17 schools received credit from on-line sales only. This resulted in $11, 700 in credit to these 38 chapters! Oswegatchie would love to have more chapters involved in the duck program, and get more students to Oswegatchie, whether it be for an exciting week of summer camp, or a fire side winter weekend. Our first Adiron-Duck Race was in 1994, we hope to make our 20th year a record breaker! FFA chapters have sold countless ducks and have helped send many students to Oswegatchie. Thank you for your support! If you have questions or wish to place an order for your flock, respond to this email. Our duck race documents have just been sent to the print shop, we will have them available for distribution in the next few weeks. Robin Waite, Program Specialist & Administrative Assistant [email protected] www.oswegatchie.org 315-346-1222 Oswegatchie Educational Center 9340 Long Pond Rd Croghan, NY 13327 As we head into the Christmas Season, THANK YOU for all the success we have had at Oswegatchie! As a culture, as a tribe, as a nation, the Oswegatchie community has been tremendously supportive in all our efforts! The 2013 short list includes:
Many of you remember the depressing days of fiscal and physical ruin Oswegatchie experienced in the past. It has been your contributions that ended those days. Now we move further into a promising future! The Season of Giving! As we enter the Christmas season, we would like to share with you our list of needs we have organized. We are prioritizing 3 specific wood working tools needed for projects in Sutliff. These 3 items range from $300 to $400, and can be picked up by us at Home Depot. Without adding extra pressure on these donations, this is ideal for a chapter or small organization interested in making a charitable purchase. Our Other Lists… Foster Lodge Update – a good read! Our Wish List – filled with the miscellaneous… Our Funding Priority List – filled with the small and progressing to the BIG! Thank you once again, and we look forward to seeing you back at Oswegatchie! Excelsior, Bill Waite Program Director Oswegatchie Educational Center Croghan, NY 13327 (315) 346-1222 www.oswegatchie.org  To: NY Ag Educators
From: The Desk of Todd Lighthall (reposted from email sent directly to ag educators) NY Ag Educators, Over the past month I have been informing you of some opportunities for you to consider to support your FFA Foundation, raise money for your chapter, and support a key partner. Please read on to learn more. 1. Made In The USA NY FFA Duck- Order your case from the FFA Foundation. We are selling these at cost, so that you can make a profit for your local FFA Chapter. a. Order your case of ducks by calling or emailing Todd Lighthall. They make a great addition to your fruit sales and are great gifts to supporters. 2. Support the NY Farm Bureau for Agricultural Education Auction. The NY Farm Bureau is one of our biggest supporters. Please consider donating an item valued at a minimum of $25 to their annual silent auction. See forms attached and return to Amy Robinson at [email protected] 3. 1936 Allis Chalmers U Tractor Raffle- Tickets are available. Another easy way to support a project of the FFA Foundation is to sell raffle tickets in your communities for this tractor. a. The previous six tractor raffles have raised over $86,000 to support your state level programs and award, at a cost of approx. $21000. Why support these causes? So far in 2013 more than $60,000 has been distributed to FFA Chapters, FFA members, and your state FFA Association from the FFA Foundation. Every bit of support helps to create budgets that will directly or indirectly enhance the FFA experience for your students. Please consider one or more of these opportunities to show your support to our organization. Thank you for your support and consideration. With kind regards, Todd M. Lighthall, Executive Director NY FFA Foundation, Inc. Engaging Youth in Agricultural & Career Success 315-346-1222 9340 Long Pond Rd. Croghan, NY 13327 www.nyffafoundation.org  A New Building? We have been quietly working on a major addition to Oswegatchie for the past 3 years. Since May 1st, 2013 a tremendous amount of construction has occurred in the heart of Oswegatchie. If you are used to staying in Sutliff and wished for a better way to experience Oswegatchie ,Foster Lodge is the place for you. Foster Lodge is a 34 x 60 wood frame structure built on a floating slab. This building will serve a dual purpose. During thesummer camp season it will operate as an infirmary. The remainder of the year, it will be the second year round guest lodge that can host groups of 24 or less. It is the first year round structure at Oswegatchie to meet all ADA standards, making it barrier free for those with disabilities. The building has four bedrooms, two common spaces, and a kitchen area for food preparation and service. It also includes a ground level patio, and a deck on each end of the second floor. Click here to check our support page on www.oswegatchie.org. The Quiet Stage In the fundraising world, whenever a major capitol project is begun, a percentage of the project is done in a quiet stage. Meaning, if you need to raise money, you have to raise at least 50% of the funds on a person to person level. Then when the end of the project comes into sight, you can go public and solicit funds from the masses. The reason for this is that people are more likely to donate once they see the progress in action. The majority of the Foster Lodge has happened in a "Quiet Stage". Before September 2013, the only people who knew this project was happening were donors or people who had been to Oswegatchie. The Foster Lodge began as a grant writing initiative with several NY FFA Chapters partnering with the NY FFA Foundation. Part of each chapter's grant budget included management fees/stipends. Each FFA Advisor from their school agreed to donate their management stipend to the FFA Foundation as seed money to bring this project to reality. The chapters taking part in this project that have committed management stipends included the following: Alexandria Bay FFA Prattsburgh FFA Beaver River FFA Sidney FFA Cayuga Onondaga BOCES FFA South Jefferson FFA Lowville FFA South Lewis FFA Otselic Valley FFA TST New Visions FFA Oxford FFA Unadilla Valley FFA Pioneer FFA Walton FFA Total funds generated from these fees over the past four years equate to over $100,000. Major Gifts have also been received from the following donors: The Daryle & Sharon Foster Family- Lead Donor $50,000 Dr. Arthur Berkey $35,000 Bruce and Kathleen Erath-in honor of Dick and Audrey Strangeway- $10,000 Mrs. Victoria Gregory $6,500 Retired Agricultural Educators of NY $3,560 In Memory of Robert Fritz $2,500 Sidney FFA Alumni Chapter $2,500 There remain three ways to contribute to this project. 1. A gift in honor of Richard and Audrey Strangeway The Owls Nest, which is the name reserved for the second floor of Foster Lodge, has received a matching gift opportunity for up to $10,000 from Bruce & Kathleen Erath. This donation is being made in honor of Richard and Audrey Strangeway. We are currently seeking financial support from those who wish to make a gift in honor of Richard and Audrey. Those who give a contribution to this cause will have their name inscribed on the plaque dedicating the room. The best part, your contribution will be matched. The goal is to raise $20,000. The Owls Nest will be a multi-purpose space. One third of the floor will be reserved for sleeping accommodations for up to 8 persons. The other two thirds will be a common space for those renting the Foster Lodge. This space will have the capacity to host meetings, chapter officer retreats, and serve as much needed program space for both summer and year round users of Oswegatchie. The second floor will be highlighted by a deck that will overlook Long Pond. 2. Earmark Donor The other way the individuals and FFA Chapters can get involved is by giving an earmarked donation of money to help us outfit the building. You will be able to go to the Oswegatchie website to see a complete list of the items we still need to buy and the amount required to buy them. Refer to the list and let us know if you want to make a general contribution or if you would like to earmark funds for a specific item. This is a great way for all of our chapters and supporters to get involved in bringing this project to completion. All contributions made to the completion of Foster Lodge will be recognized on a plaque which will hang in the building. We will also acknowledge each donor with a letter of thanks and tax receipt for tax purposes. 3. Weekend Warriors needed In an effort to complete this project within our budget, we are still seeking volunteers to come up on the weekends to assist in a variety of final tasks. We are accepting volunteers any weekends through the fall. Call the Oswegatchie staff and let us know what skill you can bring to camp to help us finish this project.
Click here to check our support page on www.oswegatchie.org
The goal for opening Foster Lodge is January 1st, 2014. After that date, the lodge will be rented on a per night basis. The addition of this building will allow us to host more than 1 group on site during the winter time or for our extra large groups to spread out into two buildings. With its kitchen and two common spaces, groups should find a comfortable arrangement in the building. We can not wait to see our FFA Advisors and chaperones sitting on the front deck while students are heading out for experiences with Oswegatchie staff! Sincerely, Todd Lighthall [email protected]  New York Ag Educators and Friends,
I am writing to provide a final report on the latest tractor fundraiser and the FFA Alumni Toy Auction. The latest tractor fundraiser came to an end last Friday evening during the NY FFA Alumni Toy Auction in Syracuse NY. After sales of more than $8200, a ticket belonging to Ray Adamson of New Berlin was drawn. Our State FFA President Amanda Rhodes had the pleasure of calling Mr Adamson. To say he was thrilled is an understatement. The tractor was delivered on Saturday and Mr. Adamson shared with me his FFA Story. He is a retired dairy farmer and former Connecticut FFA member and state degree recipient. Thank you to Asst Professor Charles Ax, and the staff and students at Morrisville State College who supported the project, both with time and money. Also thanks to Daryle Foster and Don Farrand who donated the tractor. The FFA Alumni Toy Auction was also held on Friday evening at the NY Farm Show. This event was very well attended, and the bids were generous as the FFA Alumni raised over $3,000 after consignors fees and donations were calculated. The FFA Alumni supports many worthy causes, most notably the Blast Off training for newly elected officers of the State FFA Association and the FFA Camp at Oswegatchie. Thank you goes out to the many FFA Chapters that contributed valuable items ranging from Maple Syrup to quilts, and other items in between. Also thanks to the many consignors, and the LeClar Brothers for donating their auctioneering skills to the FFA Alumni. Last but not least, a thank you to Scott Grigor, manager of the NY Farm Show and his team for allowing the FFA to have such a great part of the these three days in Syracuse NY. If you have any questions about either of these events, please feel free to contact me at the number or email below. With kind regards, Todd M. Lighthall, Executive Director NY FFA Foundation, Inc. Engaging Youth in Agricultural & Career Success 315-346-1222 9340 Long Pond Rd. Croghan, NY 13327 www.nyffafoundation.org  The New York FFA Foundation is seeking an FFA Chapter to take on our eighth tractor restoration project to raise money for the NY FFA. Seven tractors have been restored over the past 10 years and over $80,000 has been raised to support NY FFA member projects. The 6th tractor, a 1925 Fordson F was fully restored by students majoring in Agricultural Engineering at Morrisville State College under the direction of Asst Professor Charles Ax. The 7th tractor is an Allis U that was restored by FFA members from Southern Cayuga. This raffle will be kicked off at the Empire Farm Days this summer.
The D-14 is currently being stored at Oswegatchie Camp. The tractor does run, however the restoration will be extensive. The FFA Foundation provides a budget of up to $2,000. We also seek to find volunteers and donors to help with various components of the project. If your FFA Chapter is interested in this project, please contact Todd Lighthall, at this email or by calling 315-346-1222. The projects make a great learning experience for your students. Additionally a great deal of money is raised to support FFA member activities. Tractors restored in the past include: Ford 8N- Pioneer Central Ford 8N- Pioneer Central Allis Chalmers WC- Penn Yan John Deere BR- Restored by Daryle Foster and Don Farrand Ford 2N- Restored by Pioneer Central Fordson- Restored by Morrisville State College Allis U- Restored by Southern Cayuga I look forward to finding a home for this next project. With kind regards Todd M. Lighthall, Executive Director NY FFA Foundation, Inc. Engaging Youth in Agricultural & Career Success 315-346-1222 9340 Long Pond Rd. Croghan, NY 13327 www.nyffafoundation.org Dear Ag Ed and FFA Leaders,
We’re almost there! Because of your enthusiastic support, we are closing in on our goal of 10 million views of the RAM advertisement video. Thank you for all you have done to promote the ad, and please know it is very important that we do everything we can to continue to promote it. The visibility for agricultural education and FFA is overwhelmingly significant and positive. Important for you to know is that our members must view the video at the official RAM Youtube site located here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMpZ0TGjbWE or at RAM’s official website here: http://www.ramtrucks.com/en/keepplowing. Viewing the video at other Youtube links will not count toward our goal of 10,000,000 views. Please share this as appropriate with your audiences. As promised, we are including several links to news stories with responses to the ad. Our goal is to give you a sense of the impact it’s had and to share the media attention we are receiving. We encourage you to log on to the National FFA Facebook page to see the chatter related to the ad. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/04/god-made-a-farmer-super-bowl_n_2615081.html http://www.freep.com/article/20130203/BUSINESS0103/302030287/RAM-resurrects-Paul-Harvey-s-God-Made-Farmer-Super-Bowl-ad http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/under-god/post/at-super-bowl-2013-god-made-a-farmer-and-tide-had-a-miracle-stain/2013/02/03/1ba244fc-6e7c-11e2-8b8d-e0b59a1b8e2a_blog.html http://www.kivitv.com/news/local/189745211.html http://www.indystar.com/article/20130204/NEWS/302050303/FFA-will-harvest-cash-from-downloads-Chrysler-s-Super-Bowl-ad As you know, this successful partnership with RAM through the National FFA Foundation will generate up to $1 million of new support for FFA. The funds will be used to drive the FFA hunger initiative “Feeding the World–Starting at Home” and support many other FFA programs and activities for our members. There is one more way you can help. We need to ensure that in any conversations and correspondence we reference this as only RAM and omit any reference to Dodge or Dodge RAM. While you may recall a close connection between the brands in the past, they are no longer tied together and the RAM brand is our partner on this project. Above all, this campaign is a major win for American agriculture and our producers and ranchers. The ad is elevating the image of agriculture in the public’s mind and it has tied FFA and agricultural education to the future of this important industry. We could not be more pleased. Thank you for all you do! Dwight Armstrong Rob Cooper Chief Executive Officer Executive Director National FFA Organization National FFA Foundation Here is an email from the National FFA Leadership in regard to this well done TV Spot. Dear Ag Ed and FFA Leaders, As many of you may have seen, the National FFA Foundation and National FFA Organization cooperated with RAM Trucks on a two-minute Super Bowl commercial honoring the American Farmer that aired during the fourth quarter of the telecast. The ad, which features a popular poem by the late broadcaster Paul Harvey, is being supported with a cover wrap of USA Today and a significant Web presence across other electronic media. The primary link is at www.ramtrucks.com/en/keepplowing/ The ad serves as a call to action for the public to celebrate 2013 as the Year of the Farmer. Individuals may do so by visiting a special Web page, viewing the positive messaging of the video and inviting others to do the same. RAM will contribute up to $1,000,000 to the National FFA Foundation based on the views of the video and activity on the website. The bulk of the new funding will be dedicated to supporting the FFA hunger initiative “Feeding the World–Starting at Home.” The ad web page is not a sales site. Individuals will only be asked to view the video and recommend it to others. There is a link on the website for those interested in learning more about RAM products as well as a link for individuals wishing to learn more about FFA and agricultural education. Supporting this positive messaging about the American Farmer will raise awareness of the National FFA Organization within the general public while providing significant support to a major FFA initiative. We ask that you share news about the opportunity among members and supporters as appropriate. Many thanks, Dwight Armstrong Rob Cooper Chief Executive Officer Executive Director National FFA Organization National FFA Foundation |
The New York FFA Foundation The NYSFFALTF, Inc., chartered in 1946 by the New York State Board of Regents, is a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) charitable organization that provides businesses, associations, other foundations, and individuals the opportunity to contribute to the growth and success of our New York youth. Our mission is to build and maintain a financial base that will allow the New York FFA to generate well-educated and career focused productive citizens. Email our Director at [email protected] . Archives
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The NYSFFALTF, Inc., chartered in 1946 by the New York State Board of Regents, is a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) charitable organization that provides businesses, associations, other foundations, and individuals the opportunity to contribute to the growth and success of our New York youth. Our mission is to build and maintain a financial base that will allow the New York FFA to generate well-educated and career focused productive citizens.
New York FFA Foundation 9340 Long Pond Road Croghan, NY 13327 |