Thanks to a generous donation from a local bank, 45 members of the newly established Prairie FFA in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, are now proud owners of the iconic FFA blue corduroy jackets, which have been worn by more than 3 million FFA members since they were introduced as official FFA attire in 1933.
Prairie High School established its FFA chapter in 2020. Soon after its inception, representatives from Hills Bank, a locally owned financial institution, shared information with first-year FFA advisor Erica Baier about its FFA jacket program, which is available to schools in any community near a Hills Bank branch.
Baier, the 2017-18 National FFA secretary, thought at least a few members would be interested in participating in the program. She says she never could have predicted how excited and eager nearly half of the members would be to receive a blue jacket.
“Through this program, our members had the opportunity to interview with Hills Bank team members and discuss their involvement and goals within FFA, and that made them eligible for a jacket,” Baier says. “Members were essentially asked to commit to FFA in order to receive a jacket because Hills Bank was making an investment in them. In return, members were encouraged to invest in both themselves and their chapter.”
Hills Bank CEO Dwight Seegmiller, a former National FFA president, believes investing in eastern Iowa FFA chapters is also investing in the future of the region’s communities, pointing to the leadership and professional skills cultivated through FFA. He also understands firsthand how good it feels to put on a blue jacket, a feeling he wants every member to experience.
“Having an official FFA jacket can help members feel a sense of pride and belonging, and that’s important,” Seegmiller says.
One of the jacket recipients, Prairie High School freshman and FFA Reporter Belle Netolicky, says the feeling of pride and belonging could have been hard to come by during the chapter’s first year, complete with the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing challenges. Hills Bank’s generosity boosted morale and gave members something to look forward to.
“It means a lot to my fellow chapter members and me to know we have such strong support, and we are so thankful,” Netolicky says. “On a personal note, I’ve always wanted to be in FFA and have looked up to other kids wearing their blue jackets. Words cannot express how exciting it is for me to have my own jacket and live out my dream.”
