Billingsley High School’s Future Farmers of America chapter is accepting donations to help cover travel expenses for officers to attend the National FFA Convention in October in Louisville, Ky.

The chapter is asking for $10 donations in an effort to raise about $2,500 to pay for bus transportation, hotel accommodations and registration for seven officers and FFA chapter advisor Clayton Spencer.

The convention also hosts the finals in national FFA competitions and promotes involvement in FFA.

“They have dynamic speakers, they have the largest career show in the world that covers approximately a block to a block and a half [and] workshops they can go home and put to use in their FFA chapter,” Spencer said. “We’ve been doing it for about 20 years.”

The students will also have the opportunity to tour farms and other agriculture industries in the Louisville area, Spencer said.

Each $10 donation a person gives will earn him or her one chance to win a prize from a giveaway the chapter will hold during halftime of Billingsley’s Homecoming football game Friday, Sept. 27.

Three separate drawings will be held for an outdoor propane cooker and stand (valued at more than $100); a 60-quart steel patio cooler cart on wheels (valued at more than $300); and four Talladega Super Speedway tickets to the Oct. 27 race, along with four Pre-Race Pit Passes, four passes to the Talladega Super Speedway Experience and other Talladega Super Speedway swag (valued at about $1,000).

Spencer said the prizes were donated to the Billingsley FFA chapter specifically for the giveaway.

There is no limit on how many $10 donations one person may give. Each additional donation will give donors another chance to win prizes from one or more of the three drawings.

Donations must be received by Wednesday, Sept. 25, and may be sent to: Billingsley FFA Chapter, Billingsley School, P.O. Box 118, Billingsley, AL 36006.

Spencer said the Billingsley FFA chapter is the only chapter from the Chilton/Autauga area that will send students to the convention this year.

In the past, six Billingsley FFA members have auditioned and been selected to be part of the National FFA Chorus, and one was selected to serve as part of the National FFA Talent, performing on the National FFA stage and at other events around the convention, Spencer said.

Nine Billingsley FFA members served at least one year as delegates representing the Alabama FFA Association during the national convention, helping make decisions that set the direction that the National FFA would take.

Carla Moore Hornaday served on the National Officer Selection Committee in 1994, which selected the first black president of the National FFA.

Corey Flournoy was also the first non-farm member to serve as president, and he attended The Chicago School of Agriculture in downtown Chicago at the time.

For more information about FFA and the national convention, visit FFA.org.