During the prestigious Iowa State Fair Sale of Champions, 16 4-H and FFA exhibitors sell their champion livestock to hometown and national supporters. The animals represent the Grand and Reserve Grand Champions in each of their respective species as selected during the Fair’s livestock show. The Iowa State Fair features one of the largest livestock shows in the world and winning a class – let alone showing a champion animal – is highly coveted.
The Sale of Champions is managed by the Iowa Foundation for Agricultural Advancement (IFAA) and is hosted the last Saturday of the Iowa State Fair in the Cattle Barn’s Penningroth Media Center.
Local support is a great opportunity for businesses and individuals in the exhibitor’s home area to participate in the Sale of Champions at the Iowa State Fair. The contribution goes to support hard working youth and scholarships here in Iowa. IFAA is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization so donations are eligible for tax benefits.
IFAA dedicates its resources to scholarships and awards earned by nearly 200 youth each year. To continue this level of funding, resources from IFAA need to stay in these categories. The sale committee of IFAA will work hard to generate as many dollars from major corporate sponsors towards the sale of the animals as possible but cannot guarantee to match the local support dollars.
The IFAA retains 25% of the animal’s sale price to help fund scholarships and other programs. It also helps offset the costs to run the sale for Iowa State Fair Champion Exhibitors. While the IFAA Board and others are volunteers, there are some basic costs for the sale and Hall of Champions during the State Fair. Other fundraisers throughout the year also provide funds for administrative work so more dollars available for scholarships.
The Sale of Champions is a live auction, and anyone is welcome to bid. Scenes from each year’s sale are shown on IPTV’s State Fair Highlights Show to viewers.
Yes, the IFAA will retain 25% of the total dollars raised through donors and local support to fund scholarships and other awards.
The award money given to each exhibitor is after the 25% is retained by the IFAA. Therefore these dollar figures are guaranteed proceeds that will be given to each award winner.
Only 16 exhibitors are invited to sell their animals at the Sale of Champions but many more exhibitors are recognized for their hard work and achievement during the Iowa State Fair. The IFAA gives 43 awards to breed champions and other special recognition opportunities. Want to award an exhibitor? Send us a message!
The Iowa Foundation for Agricultural Advancement operates on the time and resources bein donated by members and supporters each year. We are always looking for people with a passion for supporting Iowa’s next generation of agricultural leaders.
If you are interested in learning more or joining one of our meetings, email admin@ifaa.org for more information!
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