FFA breakfast and auction brings in funding for future projects

[February 21, 2018] 

LINCOLN

On Sunday the Lincoln Community High School hosted its annual FFA pancake and sausage fundraiser breakfast in the cafeteria at the school. Funds are used to assist the program in various projects throughout the school year.

Breakfast included locally grown and processed pork with the meat being donated by Kent Paulus and Dave Conrady Farms and the processing of the meat was paid for by Gary Atteberry, PK Summer Breeze Farm, Rademakers, and Mike and Lori Ward, and processing was also done locally.

Lincoln IGA and Kroger in Lincoln provided bags, a cooker helped distribute fliers to their shoppers. Arby’s donated all the silverware and Ag Land FS donated the paper plates, napkins, and cups.

The pancake griddle was provided by Claude VanFossen. VanFossen himself was not behind the cooker this year due to illness.   During her introductions before the auction, FFA Advisor and LCHS Ag teacher “Doc Penny” Wittler mentioned VanFossen thanking him for allowing the FFA the use of “his baby” for their breakfast, and saying she felt it was a very big deal for VanFossen to lend the griddle when he wasn’t there to personally take care of it.

Syrup for the pancakes was donated by Zion Lutheran School and cash donations from Graue Chevrolet, Burtonview Co-op, and Four Corners Lube helped defray other costs of providing the breakfast.

The breakfast was donation only, making it affordable for families of any size to come in and enjoy a hearty breakfast and a pleasurable time together.

The day also included a silent auction and a live auction with Ty Tucker and family providing the auctioneer service with help from Tracy and Troy Rawlings.

The live auction began around 10:30 a.m. and saw a large variety of items all donated by various businesses, organizations, and individuals around the community.

Food at the auction sold well with one pecan pies going for just over $20 and the other for $42.50. A scrumptious looking apple pie also went for $42.50 and a coffee cake with cream cheese frosting went for $17.50. A German Chocolate cake brought $50. Peggy’s Place in Lincoln donated a made-to-order nine-inch pie that brought $12.50 – the foodie bargain of the day! The chocolate cake was donated by Ann Marie Irwin. Donna Miller provided the coffee cake, and the pies were donated by Meg Opperman and Pam Schreiner.

Some of the larger ticket items included a toy Farmall 560 tractor donated by Central Illinois Ag that brought in $90. A metal art featuring cattails with portions of the sculpture made from farm implement parts brought in more than $100.

The biggest sellers of the day were a Shop Vac that went for $75, a Yeti Cooler going for $155, and a Husky rolling toolbox that went for $335. All three of these items were donated by Remington Seed Company in Lincoln.

The fun part of the day was when FFA President Jake Kirgan served as the super model, donning a dozen handmade winter scarves made from FFA blue and gold yarn. Auctioneer Ty Tucker drug-out the modeling session, selling the scarves for choice. It took five rounds of bidding for all the scarves to sell. All of the scarves were donated by Stacey Seckler.

Finally, the deal of the day may have been a solid wood handmade park bench that went for $52.50 and was donated by Gene and Cindi Dennis.

Others who donated items for the live and silent auctions included: Sheley Repair, O’Reilly Auto Parts, AHW/John Deere, State Bank of Lincoln, Sheley Tire, Lotis and Cierra Crowell, Erin Farmer, Lincoln Grand 8 Theater; Lincoln Dodge, Chrysler, Ram, Jeep; Jerry Crowell, Blue Dog Inn, Logan Lanes, Culligan, Central Illinois Feed and Supply, Big R, Double Dee Acres Salon, Culver’s, Lisa Kirgan, Julie Mittlesteadt, Family Custom Cleaners, Blades Hair and Nail Salon, Camel’s Hair’em, Smiles on the Square, NAPA Auto Parts, Green Haven – Best Friends – Prairie Haven Animals Hospitals with Cha Dai Pet Motel, Mike and Lori Ward, Gabby Kuhlman, Timbrecrest Veterinary Services, Brad and Jennifer Luckhart, Lincoln Ag Center, Beason Ag Center, Eli Klokkenga, Gary Atteberry, Alec Murphy, Lincoln College, Mark and Melissa Short, Lincoln FFA Alumni, and Bob Buse. (The list of donors was provided by the FFA, and prepared beforehand. Dr. Wittler noted during her welcoming comments that other donations had come in the day of the event, and did not make the list. She expressed her added appreciation to those folks as well.)

In addition to all the donations, the breakfast brought in a lot of guests making generous donations at the door; all looking forward to the delicious meal that was prepared and served by FFA members, FFA Alumni members, and other volunteers.

[Nila Smith]