Story by Rebecca Burgess, COMM 2311-151/ Online News Writing
South Plains College has introduced a new organization to support its Livestock Judging Team and Agriculture Science Department. It’s a 501(c)(3), and it’s called Behind the Legend.
According to Kirk Clark, an agriculture instructor at SPC, the organization was designed to function as a booster club for the school’s agricultural programs.
Almost every organization on campus has some support behind it, he points out, whether it’s sports or theater arts.
“Well, this is our organization,” Clark says. “Because it’s our organization, we can utilize the money or the profits from the organization as best we can where we think it may serve out students most effectively.”
Sometimes, he says, that utilization may be for scholarships. Other times, it may be for competition travel.
Behind the Legend has already begun expanding its reach through social media, fundraising events, and community engagement efforts.
“We have a Facebook page with thousands of followers from our livestock judging team,” Clark says.
“My biggest takeaway from Behind the Legend,” says Ashton Floyd, an agriculture science major and livestock judging team member, “is this organization helped me push towards my dreams in judging livestock, and follow in my family’s footsteps by judging at South Plains College.”
But SPC Professor of Agriculture Dave Cleavinger points out Beyond the Legend is not just about livestock judging.
“I don’t think the community really knows everything we do in this program,” he says. “And I think we have a responsibility to educate the community with everything that our department has going on and supporting our students.”
Beyond financial assistance, Kirk Clark says Behind the Legend aims to foster professional connections.
“I think it’s extremely important to understand that sometimes in college, it’s not the grades you make,” Clark says, “it’s the hands you shake. And being able to connect our current students with our alumni, you never know when that connection down the road may lead to a job or a better opportunity later in life.”
Recent Facebook posts on the Behind the Legends page, promote recent winnings of the SPC Livestock Judging Team in the February San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo as well as information about fundraisers.
Cleavinger says Behind the Legend is open to donations of any kind.
“Specifically,” he says, “we offer opportunities for local, for any business really, to advertise their support for our organization through sponsoring of our golf tournament sponsorship, sponsorship of our jackpot show, and anything else that we may come up with along the way that may help promote South Plains College and Behind the Legend.”
To learn more about Behind the Legend or to get involved, visit the organization on its Facebook page. It includes updates and information about upcoming events.
Leave a Reply