Rye High Future Farmers of America (FFA) set up shop and opened the doors for their Annual Rocky Mountain Oyster Fry and Labor Auction on Wednesday, March 16. Friendly blue and gold jacketed FFA members did everything from greeting you in the parking lot, opening the doors, taking tickets, registering you for a bidder's number, to serving the food and cleaning up tables. Rye’s FFA advisor, Ethan Beeman, was kept on the run all evening, helping out wherever necessary and keeping things organized.
The turnout for this muchenjoyed event was tremendous this year, possibly because it has not been held the last two years due to
COVID restrictions and concerns. Nearly 670 meal tickets were pre-sold. The format for the event was rearranged this year, moving the silent auction items into the gym to allow space for more tables in the lunchroom. Even with the additional tables, the eating area was packed to capacity.
Event partakers were able to shop and bid on the silent auction items after the dinner and before the labor auction began.
Thirty-Six FFA members offered eight hours of labor to the auction. The labor must be completed in one trip to the buyer's location, and the buyer must provide lunch for the member while they are working. The purchaser has one year from the time of purchase to use the eight hours of labor of all freshman, sophomores, and juniors purchased. Senior members purchased must serve their labor before graduation day, May 27, 2022.
The FFA members showcased a huge variety of skills and interests to be auctioned off. Everything from babysitting, organization assistance, and housework, as well as all sorts of pet sitting, yard, and ranch work skills. Bidding on the members was congenial, competitive, and downright fun as locals hurried to purchase some valuable assistance and to help a good cause.