WSHS Parade of Tractors Serves as Finale to “Drive A Tractor To School Day”

  • Alyssa Grohs led the charge through town driving a Fendt adorned with the Wessington Springs FFA Chapter banner.
    Alyssa Grohs led the charge through town driving a Fendt adorned with the Wessington Springs FFA Chapter banner.
  • Much more than just a tractor parade, students also drove semi trucks, a sprayer and even a lawn mower to school and through the parade.
    Much more than just a tractor parade, students also drove semi trucks, a sprayer and even a lawn mower to school and through the parade.
  • WSHS students capped off a successful “Drive a tractor to school day” on May 10 with a spin by the elementary school, much to the delight of the younger children.
    WSHS students capped off a successful “Drive a tractor to school day” on May 10 with a spin by the elementary school, much to the delight of the younger children.
  • Originally planned to coincide with FFA week earlier this spring, “Drive a tractor to school day” had to be postponed due to inclement weather. As an end-of-year salute to a successful school year in Wessington Springs, the first annual event was capped with a Parade of Tractors at the end of the school day on May 10.
    Originally planned to coincide with FFA week earlier this spring, “Drive a tractor to school day” had to be postponed due to inclement weather. As an end-of-year salute to a successful school year in Wessington Springs, the first annual event was capped with a Parade of Tractors at the end of the school day on May 10.

    In a colorful procession that marked the culmination of a successful school year, the inaugural Wessington Springs High School (WSHS) Parade of Tractors delighted students, nursing home residents and the community as a whole as more then a dozen agricultural vehicles rumbled through the streets of Wessington Springs May 10.

    Initiated by Brady Duxbury, Ag Food and Natural Resources (AFNR) Teacher and FFA Adviser at WSHS, the first annual “Drive a tractor to school day” proved to be a resounding success, drawing enthusiastic participation from students. Originally planned to coincide with FFA week, the event had to be postponed due to inclement weather, forcing Duxbury and FFA members to make adjustments to the schedule.

    "I mentioned the idea to the students, and many of them immediately embraced it. One of our non-officer FFA members approached me and said, 'Duxbury, I've been waiting for this all year; we have to do this,” Duxbury shared. “And so, we did, and it was a huge success."

    Duxbury credited FFA officers as being instrumental in spreading the word and rallying dozens of participants  driving much more than tractors.

    “I never expected a sprayer to be there,” Duxbury laughed. “It was amazing to see so many tractors, especially during planting season."

    Next year, Duxbury hopes to plan the event earlier in the year, ideally before planting season takes hold.

    "We will definitely do it again next year and make it an annual tradition," he said.

    As tractors, semis and the sprayer returned to the farm or to the field, residents of Wessington Springs were left with a sense of community spirit and Spartan pride after witnessing the impressive bond between WSHS, its students and the agricultural heritage that runs deep across the area.

    View more photos at https://kristipublishing.zenfoliosite.com/home

     

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