DULUTH, Ga. - AGCO Corporation (NYSE: AGCO) announces Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo Committee (SJBR), of Sikeston, Missouri, as the 2018 Sowing Good Deeds winner. AGCO’s Sowing Good Deeds program, in its second year, showcases rodeo committees throughout North America and the substantive impact they have in their local communities.
“AGCO recognizes how extraordinarily hard rodeo committees work to stage and execute more than 600 PRCA-sanctioned rodeos, across 38 U.S. states and three countries. Because of the untiring dedication of rodeo committee volunteers, millions get to experience the feeling of community that local rodeos bring to life,” said Joe DiPietro, vice president, AGCO Sales and Marketing, North America. “AGCO brands Massey Ferguson® and Hesston® created the Sowing Good Deeds program to recognize these exemplary rodeo committees.”
As part of the award, AGCO, a longtime sponsor of the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA) through its Hesston and Massey Ferguson brands, awarded a Massey Ferguson tractor, valued at over $35,000, to the Sikeston Rodeo Committee at the PRCA Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (WNFR) in Las Vegas, Nevada, this December.
“We are very proud to have been chosen as the Sowing Good Deeds winner out of so many other great rodeo committees,” said Ross Merideth, SJBR rodeo chairman. “The Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo committee is made up entirely of volunteers and we all work tirelessly with the sole goal of bettering our community. We will use the new Massey Ferguson tractor to continue our goal of community betterment.”
The SJBR committee has, over the years, contributed to many worthy causes including the Sikeston Bulldog Pantry, Neighbors Helping Neighbors Christmas Basket Campaign, Sikeston Jaycee Little League Football League, numerous flood victim relief efforts, Junior Jaycees, Youth Rodeo, and many others.
In addition to the many organizations they serve throughout the year, at year end the committee determines how much can be donated from SJBR profits and community members are given the opportunity to make a donation request from the SJBR. Some notable donations made by the Rodeo include:
- A pledge made to the YMCA of Sikeston for $500,000, which was paid in full after the 2017 rodeo;
- A pledge of $50,000 to the local hospital in 2016 to be paid out over five years to secure the final construction loan for a new Emergency room – this in addition to the $40,000 donated to kick-start the initiative from 2013-2015;
- Final payment of their 2016 $60,000 pledge to the Three Rivers Community college for the construction of their new campus in Sikeston.
Over the past five years, the Sikeston Jaycees have donated $600,000 to local charities, non-profit organizations, and other worthy causes.
“The PRCA was excited when AGCO approached us two years ago about their Sowing Good Deeds award program for one of our deserving rodeo committees,” said George Taylor, CEO of the PRCA. “We are thrilled that the Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo committee is the 2018 award winner as their selfless dedication to rodeo and their community truly embodies the rodeo spirit.”
A committee of judges selected by AGCO and the PRCA evaluated the applicants based on three key criteria: community impact, innovation, and adversity. These criteria highlight work that improves the local community, exemplifies the spirit of entrepreneurship within the non-profit sector, and has initiated change or responded to significant challenges to build a stronger more sustainable organization.
For more information, please visit hesston.com/sowinggooddeeds.
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About Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo Committee
The Sikeston Jayceel Bootheel Rodeo (SJBR) has been in Sikeston, Missouri since 1952. Since its inception, it has moved from the Veterans of Foreign Wars baseball field to the privately owned 54 acres it currently resides on. The SJBR is run by the Sikeston Jaycees that were formed in 1934. This organization requires its members to be over the age of 21 and under the age of 40. The Jaycees emphasize community development through the last line of their creed which reads, “Service to humanity is the best work of life.” The Rodeo allows this group of young individuals an opportunity to take on leadership responsibilities without experience at a young age and utilize the process of the SJBR to make a difference in their community.
About PRCA
The PRCA, headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colo., is the largest and oldest professional rodeo-sanctioning body in the world. The recognized leader in ProRodeo, the PRCA is committed to maintaining the highest standards. The PRCA, a membership-based organization, sanctions approximately 600 rodeos annually, and there are more than 30 million rodeo fans in the U.S. The PRCA showcases the world's best cowboys by televising the sport's premier events, the world-renowned Wrangler National Finals Rodeo on CBS Sports Net (DISH channel 158, DirecTV channel 221) and streaming on ProRodeoTV.com. The Wrangler Tour, Justin Boots Playoffs, RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo, All American ProRodeo Finals will also air on CBS Sports Net, and ProRodeoTV.com. PRCA-sanctioned rodeos raise more than $26 million for local and national charities. For comprehensive coverage of the cowboy sport, read the ProRodeo Sports News, the official publication of the PRCA, and for daily updates of news and results visit the PRCA's official website, www.prorodeo.com.
About AGCO
AGCO (NYSE: AGCO) is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of agriculture equipment and solutions and supports more productive farming through its full line of equipment and related services. AGCO products are sold through five core brands, Challenger®, Fendt®, GSI®, Massey Ferguson® and Valtra®, supported by Fuse® precision technologies and farm optimization services. Founded in 1990, AGCO is headquartered in Duluth, GA, USA. In 2017, AGCO had net sales of $8.3 billion. For more information, visit http://www.AGCOcorp.com. For company news, information and events, please follow us on Twitter: @AGCOCorp. For financial news on Twitter, please follow the hashtag #AGCOIR.
©2018 AGCO Corporation. Massey Ferguson and Hesston by Massey Ferguson are registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation.
Media Contact:
Kelli Cook, kelli.cook@agcocorp.com, 404-353-3607
Photo Captions:
Photo - AGCO Sowing Good Deeds Award Winner Sikeston Jaycee Boothill Rodeo 12_2018: l to r: Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo 2016 Chairman Zach Fayette, 2018 Chairman Ross Merideth; AGCO director of Product, Darren Parker; Miss Rodeo America 2018, Keri Sheffield
Current Chairman Ross Meredith and past Chairman Zach Fayette, Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo committee, accepted their 2018 AGCO Sowing Good Deeds award on behalf of their rodeo committe from AGCO Director of Product Marketing Darren Parker and Miss Rodeo America 2018, Keri Sheffield
Photo Credit: PRCA ProRodeo Photo by Billie-Jean Duff
Photo - Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo Group Sowing Good Deeds 2018 Awardee: Members of the Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo traveled to Las Vegas, NV to participate in the AGCO 2018 Sowing Good Deeds Awards program and Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and PRCA National Convention