WT Ag Day Celebration Set for Sept. 7

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, [email protected]

CANYON, Texas - One of the area's largest salutes to agriculture will return Sept. 7 with West Texas A&M University's annual Ag Day Celebration.

Hosted by the WT Department of Agricultural Sciences and the Ag Development Association, the event attracts hundreds of supporters from around the region for what's believed to be the area's largest single-day fundraiser.

Festivities will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 7 in the Bain Event Center in WT's Agricultural Sciences Complex. Attendees will enjoy a prime rib lunch.

"We love this event because it allows WT alumni and supporters to fellowship, rekindle friendships and support current and future ag students," said Dr. Lance Kieth, associate dean of external relations and recruiting for the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences.

The twin highlights of the day are live and silent auctions featuring a significant collection of cruises, exclusive hunting trips, seed and other ag-related items.

Weekend festivities also will include the ag department's scholarship and awards reception, scheduled for TIME Sept. 6 in the Piehl-Schaeffer Pavilion at the Agricultural Sciences Complex.

At the reception, 337 ag students will receive more than $850,000 in scholarships for the academic year.

"We are awarding more scholarship dollars than ever in the history of the WT ag department, with nearly 30 percent of our Ag students receiving scholarships," Kieth said. "Thanks to the leadership of the Board of Ag Advisers, the Ag Development Association, and the WTAMU Foundation, we continue to rapidly grow our scholarship funds and matching dollars, enabling more students to benefit from scholarships."

The reception also will pay tribute to this year's First Choice Award recipients and Graduate of Distinction.

First Choice Award recipients include:

• The Barber Ranch, which provides Hereford cattle for judging contests and events, and hosts students and judging team members on its property in Channing;
• Dr. John Pipkin, who retired in 2023 as WT's Regents Professor and Paul Engler Professor of Equine Science after a career spent building the University's horse judging team into one of the nation's most dominate programs; and
• Reed Beverage, an Amarillo business that provided crucial support to the WT Ag Development Association when it restarted 25 years ago.

The First Choice Award recognizes successful professionals that are easily identified with WT and who have contributed to WT Ag through leadership, service, financial support or advocacy.

Graduates of Distinction to be honored will be Richard Sims, a 1980 graduate who serves as president of Wellington State Bank and is a prominent community leader, and Terry Wright, a 1973 graduate who has been a financial leader at Herring National Bank and played a critical role in restarting the Ag Development Association.

The Graduate of Distinction Award goes to WT Ag alumni who have displayed proven success and contributions in their profession, and who have contributed to WT Ag with leadership, financial support and as a spokesperson for WT Ag in their profession and community.

Funds raised at Ag Day support recruitment efforts for the ag department, including scholarships, travel and merchandise.

In the past 20-plus years, ADA has raised $1,780,000 for the department. Enrollment has risen from a few hundred students to more than 1,100.

"Ag Day and ADA's auction proceeds have been and will continue to be the catalyst for enrollment growth," Kieth said. "These funds are used for student recruitment, and every penny is spent every year. This model has produced an outstanding return on our donors' investments in our program."

ADA currently is the largest department-affiliated chapter for WT's Alumni Association.

For information, call 806-651-2550.

WT's efforts to recruit, retain and reward exceptional students is a centerpiece of the University's long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign's new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised nearly $160 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT, a Regional Research University, is redefining excellence in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers 58 undergraduate degree programs, one associate degree, and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor's and master's degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest's finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men's and women's athletics programs.

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