Meridian FFA recognized at national convention for organ donation support

The Meridian FFA Chapter in Nebraska was recognized as a 3-Star Chapter at the 97th National FFA Convention for its efforts in supporting organ donation in honor of two late FFA members who were organ donors.

Members Isaac Thomas and Landon Peterson are among nine chapter members attending this year's convention.

They said the chapter has only 50 members and despite the chapter's small size, they still find ways to excel.

“What we lack in numbers, we make up for in skill and commitment to FFA,” Peterson said.

Each year, the chapter chooses one home football game to host a “Live on Tailgate.” All proceeds from the event will be donated to the Live On Foundation, which supports organ donation.

“Two FFA members have passed away, and both were organ donors,” Peterson said. “We’ve been doing this ever since.”

The Meridian FFA Chapter only started in 2018, but membership continues to grow each year.

Thomas said the region's communities are surrounded by agriculture, making them a natural fit to support the relatively new FFA chapter. But he also said people see value in leadership and investment in agricultural education.

The National FFA National Chapter Awards Program is designed to recognize FFA chapters that actively implement the organization's mission and strategy.

Check out other national FFA articles here. Coverage of the 97th National FFA Convention and Exposition is sponsored by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources and the Nebraska FFA Foundation.