POLK COUNTY, Fla. — A Polk County car dealership is raising thousands of dollars to support youth in agriculture.
It’s no secret that working in the agriculture industry takes hard work and dedication.
Just ask 15-year-old Haylie Stephens, who cares for swine and then sells it at the local youth fair.
“I wake up to go feed them around 5 a.m. Every morning before school, I have to get up, go out to the pig barn, feed the whole barn. Make sure everything’s good. Nothing is sick,” said Haylie Stephens.
Haylie’s father said the costs to raise and sell livestock have become increasingly expensive. “From feed to medication to the actual pig or the steer or the animal has went up,” said Jerrett Stephens.
Kelley Buick GMC in Bartow is holding its Twenty Buck Truck Raffle to help lighten the load for kids in agriculture.
When you enter the raffle for just $20, you have a chance to win a brand-new 2022 GMC Sierra. All the money raised goes to students involved in Future Farmers of America (FFA) and 4-H programs.
“Throughout the last seven years, we’ve given back over a million dollars to the kids in the area. It's quite substantial and it gets bigger every year,” said Mark Rask with Kelley Buick GMC.
A lot of times, that money goes towards the college funds for students like Haylie, who are the future of Polk County’s agriculture industry.
“Production agriculture and sales and all kinds of stuff they can get into. With the support of people like Kelley Buick and the other sponsors that help, it makes it a feasible accomplishment for these kids,” said Stephens.
The drawing takes place on Oct. 12, National Farmers Day, at the Kelley Buick GMC dealership in Bartow at 4:30 p.m. Sheriff Grady Judd will announce the winner of the 20 Buck Truck.
