By Katie Day:
Dear Mr. Akin:

It is too seldom that we as alumni of our wonderful 4-H and FFA programs reflect back on our youth and say "thank-you" to those who played an integral part in preparing us for the future. That is why I would like to take a few moments of your time to thank you and the committee representing the Fort Worth Stock Show Syndicate for contributing to my life both financially and socially.

My family treated our exhibition of show cattle as a business. We invested our money in the animals that provided us entertainment and taught us skills that only owning and caring for a living creature can. We built relationships with other youth from all corners of our state, and became involved in programs and associations relating to the cattle industry. My sister and I were the third generation from our family to exhibit steers at the Fort Worth Stock show. I showed animals from 1989 until I graduated from High School in 1999. I was fortunate to have made the premium sale for most of those years, and exhibited the Champion Hereford steer in 1994 and 1999, and the Reserve Hereford steer in 1997.

By investing money in our show projects, we were able to use our returns to create a college fund that was essential in paying for our education. I attended Texas Tech University and graduated with Honors in 2003, receiving a bachelor of Science in Agriculture and Applied Economics. I now work for the State Senator from Lubbock and am fortunate to work with colleagues and constituents who share a similar fondness of 4-H & FFA youth projects as I.

I met my husband while at your show in 1998, and we are now planning to start a family that we hope one day will benefit from the lifestyle we did, exhibiting cattle at the Fort Worth Stock Show. I hope my children are able to experience the joys of raising an animal and seeing their hard work turn into funds that they can use to further their education.

My family and I are eternally grateful to the Fort Worth Stock Show, and the syndicate that makes the premium sale such a success. You certainly have the greatest Stock Show in the world, and we both applaud and thank you for all you have done. Please keep up the good work!

Very truly yours,

Katie Day
Route 1 Box 79
Meadow, Texas 79345
 

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