The Fair Grove High School FFA (Future Farmers of America) held an event on February 21st, during the boys basketball game against Clever. Students and fans could bring stuffed animals to the game and throw them on the court at half time to donate them to charity.
Cole Johnston, the FFA advisor, stated that the FFA officers were the ones to go around and advertise the event as well as help prepare for it.
Gretta Morris (12) said, “In order to prepare for this event, we first had to schedule a date that was going to be a popular game but also a game that didn’t have a lot going on so we chose the game versus Skyline.”
There were some complications while scheduling the event. Morris continued, “Days out from Cover the court we realized we were going to have to cancel FFA week due to the weather. So we postponed FFA week and Cover the court. We found a game that would work and it was versus Clever.”
Johnston expressed that he really enjoyed the event. He said, “I like the event mostly because of knowing what the stuffed animals mean to a child who is in the hospital. My son had an emergency surgery in St. Louis and received an animal while he was there through donations like this event.”
Morris also expressed that she likes this event. She stated, “I enjoy this event every year because we aren’t asking for money and it’s not for our chapter. It’s for kids who really would love a stuffed animal who are fighting for their lives. It’s for the smile that will occur when that stuffed animal gets to the patients.”
Johnston stated that they advertised for it. They posted about the event on social media with a flyer. They also worked together with different schools to advertise the event.
All of the stuffed animals went to a charity organization. Johnston said that they had donated them to the charity of St. Judes/ Mercy Children’s hospital.
They had a main goal of the event to do some community service to people that might need it. Morris said, “The main purpose was to do some community service and to treat kids with kindness. I think sometimes I take things for granted and those kids are just happy to get a little stuffed animal. The purpose was for people to understand and feel for those kids.”
