By CAROLINE CARMICHAEL / Staff Writer

Sen. Cam Ward presented a $2,000 check to Future Farmers of America sponsor Clay Mims and Jemison High School Principal Diane Calloway on Oct. 12.

Ward’s donation will be used for travel expenses for FFA members of JHS to attend the 90th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis on Oct. 25-28.

Calloway said Ward was passing through when he called to request a visit with the school during its parent meet-and-greet.

“He talked to us about our FFA program being one of two in his district that is the most active, and how much he enjoys when our students go down to Montgomery to visit with him — how well received they are and how respectful they are, and those kind of things,” Calloway said.

FFA has been a thriving organization at JHS for about as long as the school has been in existence, Calloway said.

“They are very active. They’re very active in the competitions that they do. They’re in the judging competitions,” Calloway said. “They just went to a competition this past weekend at the fair — they were in the goat competitions and the showcase and that kind of thing. Those are the things that they’re very active in.”

Regarding Ward’s donation, Calloway emphasized “how much we appreciate and how much our programs do benefit from the contributions that our representatives and [other such donors] give to us. Our schools need those funds — being rural schools, it takes a lot. And their contributions certainly help.”