KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Over the course of the last century, the American Royal has been one of the top giving organizations in the Midwest.
In 2014, the American Royal issued more than $1 million to its mission of supporting youth, education and agriculture.
“By any measure, we are one of the top giving organizations in the city,” said John Mitchell Jr., chairman of the Royal.
Its charity is going to increase starting in 2015.
The examples are plenty, from increasing the scholarships for various programs to providing more opportunities for youth to learn more about agriculture’s place in today’s society. The purpose of the American Royal continues to hold tight those beliefs that helped establish Kansas City so many years ago.
For instance, the Royal will increase by $10,000 the amount of scholarship funds awarded to the University of Missouri and Kansas State University through the Veterinary Scholars Program. Through the end of 2014, the organization provided $7,500 to each vet school; that increases to $12,500 this year.
“Our education committee will also develop additional opportunities for the vet scholars to interact with other American Royal programs,” Mitchell said. “We believe the American Royal is a great teaching opportunity for vet scholars, and we want to develop other ways to improve those relationships and build our future leaders.”
The association also will increase the number of scholarships for the Royal Scholars Program from six to 10 while also increasing the scholarship by twice the amount to $5,000. The Royal also expects to increase the number of Calf Scramble invitees while continuing its commitment to funding the program.
“Every step we take is to provide greater opportunities and hopefully build on the agrarian values we deem so important,” Mitchell said.
The association also is partnering with the Agriculture Future of America organization, which, like the Royal, supports education, scholarship and leadership development for students interested in pursuing careers in agriculture. The American Royal will team with the AFA with a $10,000 scholarship.
“We believe in the Agriculture Future of America’s mission, and we want to show our support for another organization that has the same values with the American Royal,” Mitchell said. “This partnership will enable us to keep building for future agriculture leaders.”