SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — The South Dakota FFA received support from one local business.

FFA has been growing in high schools across South Dakota — currently, there are 109 chapters in the state.

This year, the organization was selected to receive a grant from the Scheels Giving Campaign.

It’s Carter Richardson’s first year as an FFA member at the CTE academy. Thanks to community support, he is excited to be receiving his very own FFA jacket.

“The jackets I believe will help, well I know they will help, it shows each member as their team, kind of like a jersey on a football team, it shows the awards that they win they will put on their jackets and it will show a lot of what they mean for FFA,” said Richardson.

“Getting the new jacket is very exciting for new members. They put it on, it’s made out of corduroy, it’s a tradition,” said Gerri Eide, SD FFA Foundation Executive Director.

This year, the state organization was granted funding from the Scheels Giving Campaign, to help not only buy members the official dress but also fund other events across South Dakota.

“Community support is really critical to FFA, we use volunteers all the time and sponsors across the state and across the nation that support FFA, and seeing that come alive in Sioux Falls is very exciting because they understand that we have to know where our food comes from,” said Eide.

“People love to shop at Scheels, they love to give back to us in that way so we in turn just like to turn around and give back to the community,” said Jenna Schlapkohl, social media manager for Scheels.

Helping to work toward the goal of getting ag education in approximately 160 schools across South Dakota.

“So to have an FFA chapter in your community you have to have an agricultural education class in your high school. Ultimately, we would like every student to have the opportunity to have agricultural education and FFA by having a chapter in every school district in the state of South Dakota,” said Eide.

“It’s very fun. There’s a lot of different things I’ve been learning, and it’s very hands-on which I love,” said Richardson.

One of the big events that this funding will help sponsor is the state FFA convention which takes place in April.

Scheels will announce the other organizations they are donating to Tuesday.