𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐃𝐀 𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐖𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐤𝐚 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐱 𝐚𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐅𝐀 𝐀𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐧𝐢 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐑𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐨

The Elmore County Economic Development Authority hosted a radio roundtable with Doug Amos on Thursday at the Wetumpka Sports Complex, discussing the upcoming Wetumpka FFA Alumni Championship Rodeo and recent improvements to the arena.

“We were surprised and just blessed last year to get the new facility from the City of Wetumpka and the Elmore County Commission,” said Mark Matthews, president of the FFA alumni group. “We just can’t thank them enough and praise them with what they’ve done for us.”

Matthews highlighted FFA’s lasting impact on the community, emphasizing that work ethic and professionalism are among the most valuable lessons students carry with them. Through the rodeo, Matthews said the alumni were able to donate $24,000 last year to help students travel to educational events focused on workforce development.

“We [FFA] have a little over 300 careers,” said John Colquitt, improvement specialist for Alabama FFA. “Still, one out of every five jobs in the U.S. are agriculturally related, so it’s the biggest employer.”

Colquitt added that Alabama FFA now includes more than 32,000 members and continues to grow, noting that interest is expanding beyond traditional classrooms. He recently heard from a homeschool student looking to join, underscoring the program’s widening reach. With participation at that level, he said, strong partnerships are essential to maintaining the infrastructure needed to support it.

“Since 2025, when we partnered with the county to put in the arena, we’ve really been able to do a lot more out there beyond just this rodeo,” said Andres Stieb, tourism manager of the City of Wetumpka. “Of course, the Elmore County Commission, ECEDA, and the board of education have been big partners in what we’ve been able to accomplish, especially over the last five years.”

Stieb announced that organizers are expecting more than 5,000 people each night of the rodeo, prompting the need for additional seating and expanded space — what he described as a great problem to have. He added that the influx of visitors offers a valuable opportunity to showcase Elmore County, increasing the likelihood of return trips and future tourism.

“You know, there’s a lot more being planned to be put out there, but that’s the secret,” said Richie Beyer, COO of ECEDA. “It’s the fact that we’re all working together, and we’re leveraging our resources, and that doesn’t happen everywhere.”

To purchase tickets for the Wetumpka FFA Alumni Championship Rodeo, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wetumpka-ffa-alumni-championship-rodeo-tickets-1986132115623?msockid=11432f32db1969241a493926da0e68aa​​​