Nicholas D. Sergi Foundation Fundraising Initiative Nets Elkhorn FFA Organization $6,100 for Its Education Program
The Nicholas D. Sergi (NDS) Foundation raised $6,100 for the Elkhorn Future Farmers of America (FFA) Organization (Future Farmers of America) during a month-long campaign to honor the legacy of Sergi Farms Founder Nicholas “Nick” Sergi.
The NDS Foundation was established by the Sergi family in memory of their beloved Nick, who passed away in October 2018 at the age of 28. Sergi Farms continues operations, raising beef cattle in Elkhorn, WI, and delivering grass-finished beef throughout the Midwestern U.S.
March 28, 2020, would have been Nick’s 30th birthday, so the NDS Foundation wanted to honor his legacy with a campaign. For every beef box sold by Sergi Farms during March 2020, the NDS Foundation promised to donate $100 to the Elkhorn FFA Organization.
“It has always been important to the Sergi family and to the NDS Foundation that we honor Nick’s legacy,” Joe M Sergi said. “When it came to Nick’s 30th birthday, we knew we had to do something particularly special.”
The NDS Foundation’s goal was to sell 30 beef boxes throughout the month of March, which would help them reach a $3,000 donation to the Elkhorn FFA Organization. But their supporters gave double that amount.
“We’re overwhelmed with the support from our community, friends, and Sergi Farms customers,” Joe M Sergi said. “This response really shows the love for Nick and continued support of his legacy.”
Sergi Farms sold 61 beef boxes throughout the month of March, so the NDS Foundation will donate $6,100 for the Elkhorn FFA Organization its agricultural education programs, including the development of animal and plant science programming at the Elkhorn Agricultural Science department.
“This financial support will be used to provide a long-lasting learning impact for Elkhorn students as we invest in animal science training equipment and support the development of a land-based learning lab for students,” said Elkhorn FFA Leader David Kruse. “We are very excited about this support, financially and philosophically, and what it means to our organization.”
He added that the donation comes at an exciting time as the department adds a second agriculture teacher and the school district seeks to grow the quality and scope of the program.
The donation of more than $6,000 is another in a series of events and activities that have been facilitated by the Sergi family and the Nicholas D. Sergi Foundation. Activities range from helping to underwrite the cost of a Thanksgiving dinner for 130 people to donating more than 2,400 pounds of ground beef to help those less fortunate in Southeast Wisconsin. Additionally, the Foundation raised more than $100,000 for future donations at an event held in the fall and donated $75,000 to USO of Illinois to establish the Nicholas D. Sergi Reflection Room within the Quiet Wing at the Great Lakes Naval Base.
Many of these activities executed to help those less fortunate help fulfill plans that Nick had begun making prior to his death.
