Monday, November 25 is the annual Fall Extravaganza, put together this year by the Fort Scott FFA Chapter as a fundraiser.
The event is at the Fort Scott Middle School from 5-8 p.m.
“The event started in 2009 by the Fort Scott Middle School VIPs to raise money to support the middle school,” said Sydney Cullison, Fort Scott High School FFA Advisor.
The event is where local businesses or crafty individuals showcase and sell their products and the students running the event get some money for their cause, it’s a win-win proposition.
Cullison said “The last couple of years the event was coordinated by the Fort Scott High School Swim Team to raise money for uniforms. This year, the Fort Scott FFA Chapter took over the planning of the event.”
The chapter officers are in a class called Ag Leadership and have been planning this event with the help of Cullison.
Much work has been done by the students and teacher leading up to this event: They must determine how much to charge for booth spaces, make an application form, collect payments from vendors, create a vendor layout map, create flyers and do social media advertising for the event.
Thus far 55 vendors are coming and will have a 10-foot by 10-foot booth space for $25.
The proceeds from the event will pay for the annual FFA membership dues for the 2024-25 school year, which are roughly $1,300 and are covered by the FFA Chapter.
“In 2021, the FFA chapter moved to an affiliate membership model meaning any student enrolled in an agriculture course is automatically an FFA member,” Cullison said. “The affiliate model allows all students to participate in FFA events to further skills learned in the classroom without paying an individual membership fee of $15. “
The Fort Scott High School FFA program has 106 students in grades 9-12.
The National FFA Organization’s mission is to help students develop their potential for leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education.