The Virgin Valley Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter hosted its biggest event of the year Nov. 19-22. The FFA Yule Ball Tree Gala was held in collaboration with Holiday Inn at The Barn. Community members were invited to bid on beautifully pre-decorated trees for a chance to take one home.

For months, chapter members had planned vendors, trees, sponsors and every detail of the event to make it the best it could be. Hundreds of community members attended throughout the week and placed bids on trees decorated by various organizations and school clubs. Virgin Valley High School sports, VVHS cheer and VVHS flag football received the highest bids, totaling nearly $1,000 combined. Several businesses also decorated trees to show support and promote their companies, including Fixxology, Eureka, Mesquite Gaming, Ace Hardware and many more.

In addition to the tree auction, FFA also held several raffles throughout the week. Chapter volunteers greeted guests at the entrance and invited them to purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win a variety of prizes. Winners could take home gift baskets from T-Mobile, Fluttering & Flattering, Cinnamon Cafe and Wanderlust by Angela Poole. Other raffle prizes included a family photo session, a gift certificate to J.S. Merchant and a $100 dining credit for Eureka.

On Saturday, Nov. 22, the most anticipated evening began: FFA’s very first Debutante Ball. Many young women from Virgin Valley High School arrived to celebrate their first steps into womanhood. Accompanied by their escorts, they met their sponsors and learned more about what it means to be a woman in today’s world. They were honored for all the activities they participate in and the impact they have on the community. At the end of the event, awards were presented, with Addison Tedford earning the title of Diamond FFA Debutante.

“Winning Diamond Debutante felt like all my hard work and dedication finally paid off. I’m excited to be the first Diamond Debutante. I can’t wait to see this FFA event thrive for years to come,” she said.

FFA advisor Bailey Kesl and the FFA officer team would like to express their gratitude for all the support the community showed. Chapter president Reymond Trujillo said, “The strengths of the event was the community support. We had over 50 trees, and this event wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for the community coming out and supporting us. Having everyone come out was also my favorite part. Seeing everyone love the event made it 10 times more worth all of the planning that went into it.”

Don’t forget to come back next year to see how this event grows even further. For any questions relating to FFA, contact VVHSFFA@gmail.com.