Bill Gatton Foundation pledges historic $11 million donation to Kentucky FFA
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- Bill Gatton Foundation pledges $11M to Kentucky FFA, marking a record gift.
- Donation expands FFA camps, scholarships, and leadership development events.
- Training center renamed for Gatton, honoring his legacy and lifelong support.
The Bill Gatton Foundation has pledged $11 million to Kentucky Future Farmers of America, the largest donation to any FFA foundation in U.S. history, according to the Kentucky Department of Education.
The gift will benefit more than 24,000 Kentucky students who participate in FFA programs across the state. The money will be used to enhance the Kentucky FFA Leadership Training Center and camp experience, provide more FFA camp scholarships, increase prize money for state winners of career and leadership development events and support a foundation-led bus tour to the FFA Washington Leadership Conference, according to the education department.
“We are so grateful for this gift and excited for the opportunities it will open up for the students across Kentucky who are learning and growing through the FFA program,” Beth Hargis, associate commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Education’s Office of Career and Technical Education, said in a news release. “Whether it’s through career skills workshops or hands-on leadership programs, our students will benefit from opportunities to help guide them down the road to success.”
Kentucky FFA will rename its training center in Hardinsburg to Carol Martin Gatton Kentucky FFA Leadership Training Center as a result of the donation.
“The Carol Martin Gatton Kentucky FFA Leadership Training Center is a place that has grown thousands of Kentucky FFA members into true leaders in their homes, communities and our state,” Kentucky FFA Foundation Executive Director Sheldon McKinney said in a news release. “Mr. Gatton’s gift will ensure that we continue to thrive.”
Gatton was elected Kentucky’s FFA president during his senior year of high school in 1950. He went on to graduate from the University of Kentucky with a business administration degree, and gave sizable donations to UK and other Lexington organizations, including the YMCA of Central Kentucky.
Gatton died in 2022. The owner of car dealerships and real estate, Gatton was the largest single donor to UK, giving more than $70 million to the university in his lifetime.
The Bill Gatton Foundation also donated $14.5 million to Lexington’s newest park, formerly known as Town Branch Park. The park was renamed Gatton Park on the Town Branch after the donation and opened this past weekend.
