AG DAYS Gives Back is an ongoing initiative that takes place each year in January at the Manitoba AG DAYS event at the Keystone Centre.

The Give Back incentive is funded through the 50/50 sales at Ag Days, where half of the money raised goes back into the communities across the province.  

The intake for their Community Improvement grants closed two weeks ago, and the AG DAYS committee received 40+ grant applications from across the province.

For example, this past event in January of 2023 the proceeds raised from the 2022 Ag Days 50/50 ticket sales went to eight rural fire departments, three student scholarships for post-secondary education, and to the Ag in the Classroom programs.

2023 Grant Recipients were:

Community Improvement – $16,000 total:

  • Roblin Fire and Rescue $2000
  • Glenboro South Cypress Fire Department $2000
  • Ste Anne Fire Department $2000
  • Whitemouth Fire Department $2000
  • Edward Fire Department $2000
  • St. Rose Fire Department $2000
  • Clandeboye Fire Department $2000
  • Ochre River Fire Department $2000 

Education and Leadership – Agricultural Youth Education

  • Agriculture in the Classroom -Manitoba $10,000
  • ACC Diploma Scholarship – Rhett Grieve $1,000
  • U of M’s Diploma Scholarship – Lacey Calder $1,000
  • U of M’s Degree Scholarship– Emily Rob $1,000

AG DAYS Media Coordinator, Teresa Hildebrand, says the 50/50 sales from the 2023 event raised just under an amazing $35,000 but was topped up with proceeds raised from the collection of the gate admission so they will be awarding $50,000 at the upcoming 2024 AG DAYS event.

Hildebrand says there will be 17 Community Improvement grants of $2,000 each to be given out, as well as three $2,000 student scholarships, in addition to the $10,000 Agriculture in the Classroom programs, all at the 2024 event!

"We really appreciate the support," shares Hildebrand. "Last year was the first in-person show in several years and so we had amazing support, and it was also the first show where we had admission, and so we wanted to make sure that people were understanding that all that support of that 50/50 and the admission is getting reinvested into the agriculture community through our show, through the quality of our speakers we bring, and through the AG DAYS Gives Back program!"

"Because we had such great support in 2023, we are able to increase both the number of community improvement grants, and the amounts of the scholarships that will be awarded at the 2024 show!"

AG DAYS Gives Back has given away $362,500 since its inception in 2013!

Please listen to more with Teresa Hildebrand as she shares more on AG DAYS Gives Back!

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