VISALIA - World Ag Expo attendee William Camp hadn't attended the Expo in a number of years, but now he's committed to going every year.And he'll be driving a new Toyota Tundra pickup truck, thanks to a lucky ticket from a fundraiser to support FFA programs throughout the San Joaquin Valley.
William Camp receives the keys to his new Toyota Tundra from Don Groppetti, Groppetti
Automotive. Camp and his wife, Leann, made a last-minute decision to donate to the give-away, and started first at the Honda booth to try to win the Big Red MUV.
They learned that tickets were no longer available, so they headed to the Toyota booth. He emptied his pockets, made his donation and was given 22 tickets.
The second ticket was the lucky one, and hearing his name announced, "was nauseating," Camp recalls.
"I was overwhelmed ... I had just won a $30,000 truck. This kind of thing doesn't happen to me! It was a really good feeling. My wife, who is expecting our second child, was instantly in tears."
Camp received the keys in early March at the Groppetti Toyota dealership in Visalia and he was excited to discover that Toyota "overdelivered," with a Tundra that offered even more features than expected.
"It is awesome to drive," said Camp, who is originally from Dinuba, and is a resident of Acton, CA. "Now we have to go to World Ag Expo every year!"
The 2011 Expo marked the third year for the partnership linking World Ag Expo, Toyota and the Central and San Joaquin FFA regions for the Tundra give-away. The fundraiser will help support FFA programs in more than 30 high schools in the two valley regions.
"The partnership has been rewarding for everyone involved," said Stacey Beachy, Director of Corporate Partnerships for the International Agri-Center. "FFA students are the future of agriculture, and the International Agri-Center and Toyota are pleased to support their programs."
World Ag Expo 2012, celebrating 45 years of excellence, will be held Feb. 14-16. For details, visit worldagexpo.com.
