Aaron Dahlinger was mowing lawn when the idea came to him. He quickly called the FFA president, Chris Sheehan, and said he had an announcement to make at the next meeting. He didn’t tell anyone his idea. The day before his revelation, Dahlinger was talking with his mom and aunt about Don Nystrom’s surgery. Dahlinger wanted to do something to help the family. At the FFA meeting, Dahlinger told his fellow officers that he wanted to have a fundraiser for the family. After some discussion, the officers came up with the spaghetti dinner idea. “We came up with ideas and made a list,” said Sheehan. “When we met with the other officers, we decided which one was the best idea.” The officer team chose to hold the dinner fundraiser during Kimball Days, since many people would be in town. However, a lot of preparation was required before the event could happen. The FFA officers teamed up with the Powder Ridge Ski Patrol, who cooked for the event. Then, the teens began searching for supplies. “We had to call many places and we went to local businesses [to solicit donations],” Dahlinger said. Dahlinger and Sheehan did most of the leg work behind the project. Sheehan said they called more than 15 businesses. All of their work paid off and most of the food was donated. However, the event was bigger than the FFAers predicted. The team had to make a few runs to the local grocery store and purchase more food. “We sold 580 tickets,” FFA advisor, Shawn Meyer said. “And served over 600.” (Children were free). “It went beyond what we expected,” Dahlinger said. “When people were lining the stairs and curling around [waiting in line] it was great to see.” The student officers pulled together to complete all of the work for the event. To promote the fundraiser, officers went to churches and put notes on cars. One brave member stood up in front of congregations and asked for community support. The teens put up flyers around town and advertised the event on their float in the Kimball Days parade. Meyer was interviewed on the Albany radio station, KASM 1150 AM. Collectively, the FFA students raised close to $9,000 for the Nystrom family. This money will be used to purchase a lift for Don, which will allow him to get up and down the stairs. Sheehan and Dahlinger felt compelled to host this fundraiser, since Don’s children also attend Kimball Area High School. “This was important to the community,” said Sheehan. “And especially to us, since his kid is in our grade.” Dahlinger added, “We were hoping if we were in the same situation, someone would do this for us.” Sheehan and Dahlinger wanted to put a dare out to the community, as more money is needed for the family. “We dare you to match or beat what we raised,” Dahlinger challenged. After all of their hard work, it is apparent that the FFA team pulled together for a successful event. “These young people should be very proud of themselves. To carry through the way that they did was great,” Meyer said.
