Black Hawk College President Dr. Jeremy Thomas, left, and Brandon Hall, ABCA president, right, present the 2023 Outstanding Alumnus Award to State Rep. Dan Swanson, center, at last year’s banquet. In the background are a few of the businesses who sponsor the event. [Agri-Business Club Alumni photo]

They call it the Aggie Weekend. Three days of socializing, fundraising and golf, all mixed in with the annual summer gathering of the Black Hawk East Agri-Business Club Alumni which will be held this weekend in Kewanee.

The late Eldon “Bud” Aupperle, BHE’s first ag teacher, founded the Agri-Business Club in 1972, just after the community college moved into four “temporary” buildings on a permanent campus south of Kewanee. Since then, thousands of students have graduated from the agriculture and equine programs at the two-year institution. Some went on to four-year colleges and universities, others went to work at various jobs in the industry, others returned to the farm.

Shortly after forming the club, Aupperle also formed an organization for the alumni who now can be found in almost every state in the nation providing a useful networking tool to BHE grads.

Today, if you mention Black Hawk East at almost any agricultural event, organizational function or business from livestock shows to major companies, colleges and universities, they either know someone who graduated from BHE, or have an alumnus involved in whatever they do.

One of the major providers of the “fuel” that produces these graduates is the BHE Agri-Business Club Alumni and the Aggie Weekend helps “fill the tank.”

The 2024 fundraising goal is $75,000. It is anticipated that between 175 and 200 sponsors will each donate between $500 and $7,500 to support the event in exchange for reserved seats at the banquet, entries in the golf tournament, Foundation/BHC merchandise, and sponsorship acknowledgement, depending on the amount. Sponsors donating more than $7,500 will also receive a plaque.

Proceeds from the event support scholarships, faculty and staff mini-grants, program advancement, team and club sponsorships, capital projects and more at Black Hawk College East Campus.

Three years ago an annual banquet and golf outing, each held at different times of the year, were combined into a summer weekend event held at the Midland Golf Club. Last year, a Friday night social was added at Cerno’s Bar & Grill, which this year will feature a live band, “Lucy’s Ditch,” silent and live auctions, and complimentary appetizers.

A BHE ag alumnus tees off in last year’s Agri-Business Club Alumni golf tournament which this year has been renamed “The Aggie Cup.” The event will be held Sunday, July 28, at Midland Gold Club and is part of the alumni’s annual Aggie Weekend. [Agri-Business Club Alumni photo]

The main fundraiser will be held Saturday evening at Midland with dinner, announcement of scholarship winners and the recipients of the annual Outstanding Alumnus and Friends of the Alumni awards.

At this year’s event, Joe Orwig, of Toulon, a 1984 graduate of BHE who now owns his own auctioneering and appraisal business, will receive the Outstanding Alumnus Award. He also serves as president of the Black Hawk College East Foundation.

The Friends of the Alumni Award will be presented to the State Bank of Toulon and Compeer Financial.

The anniversary classes of 2019, 2009, 1999, 1989, 1979 and 1969 are also being honored.

This Sunday’s golf outing is being dubbed the 1st Annual Aggie Cup with a traveling trophy presented to the winning team.

Three distinctive corn hole boards, including the one shown here, all made and painted by individuals in custody in the art department at the Illinois Department of Corrections Life Skills Re-entry Center, in Kewanee, Are among the items donated for the live, silent and online auctions taking place during Aggie Weekend. [Agri-Business Club Alumni photo]

In addition to live and silent auctions at events throughout the weekend, the first ever ABCA online auction will feature a collection of items. It is hoped that the online auction will give alumni unable to attend the event an opportunity to participate, as well as those planning to attend an opportunity to bid on additional items. Online bidding has begun and ends Monday, July 29 at 3 p.m.

For more information on Aggie Weekend or to create an account for the online auction, visit the BHE Agri-Business Club Alumni Facebook page.