Aiken High School's Future Farmers of America is bringing the first Aiken High Rodeo fundraiser to the area - an event that the group's adviser, Waylon Priester, believes will receive the community support it needs to be successful.
Also sponsored by the South Carolina High School Rodeo Association, the event will be Friday and Saturday at the Aiken County fairgrounds, 1566 Columbia Highway.
On Friday, the rodeo will begin at 8 p.m. and will feature the senior high school division competition.
On Saturday, the junior rodeo will begin at 11 a.m., and the high school rodeo will be later that night at 8 p.m.
The festivities also will include food and souvenir vendors, a free kids calf scramble for a $25 prize, and a $10 adult calf scramble for a $100 prize.
Tickets will be free for kids 6 and younger, $10 a day for students, $12 a day for adults or $40 for a family pack of four tickets. Family pack only will be sold in advance.
Tickets will be available at the gate.
Priester said there will be 10 events each night, including bareback riding, saddle bronc, tie-down roping, break-away roping, steer wrestling, barrel racing, pole bending, goat tying, team roping and bull riding.
Walther Farms is the event sponsor.
"We asked them for a sponsorship, and they agreed because they believe in supporting the local community and FFA," he said. "It's our first year trying this, so we're kind of learning as we go. But we've gotten great support, and we hope that continues."
For more information, call Priester at 803-942-3945 or email wpriester@acpsd.net.
Derrek Asberry is the SRS beat reporter for the Aiken Standard and has been with the paper since June 2013. He is originally from Vidalia, Ga., and a graduate of Georgia Southern University. Follow him on Twitter @DerrekAsberry.