Sue Sitter/PCT Students Carson Bohl (left) and Levi Tofte pedal their way to the finish line at the FFA Ag Olympics Tuesday.

Students at Rugby High School walked through the hallways dressed as farmers, hunters and fishing enthusiasts last week in celebration of National FFA Week.

The dress-up days, organized by FFA officers, were just some of several activities planned for Feb. 24-28.

Rugby High FFA Adviser Kasey Okke said, “FFA week always falls on the week of George Washington’s birthday. It’s part of National Career and Technical Education Month.”

Okke said three students, who organized the week’s activities, would prepare lunch for teachers attending a non-student professional development day Wednesday.

“We’re putting on an appreciation lunch for the teachers on their professional development day. We’re serving soups and sandwiches,” said student and FFA officer Lauren Voeller, who planned the activities along with fellow FFA officers Lylla Grice and Emma Mahle.

Okke said the Rugby High ag department spread the word about FFA Week through radio and social media. “We’ve done radio interviews with KZZJ, KHRT and the Red River Farm Network,” Okke said.

After students dressed in patriotic garb Monday to kick off the week, they dressed as farmers and participated in the Rugby chapter’s first-ever Ag Olympics Tuesday afternoon.

Students signed up to form 13 teams. Contestants moved through a course, first using bathroom plungers and flat boards with wheels to make their way to children’s riding tractors. Participants pedaled the tractors to their next challenge, where they picked up a teammate’s feet and “steered” them, wheelbarrow style, to their last challenge, a corn hole game. Students who scored highest by winning races and landing the most beanbags in holes came back for a play off challenge – a three-legged race.

Voeller, Mahle and FFA Co-Advisers Okke and Kristi Tonnesen kept the games lively with farm-related jokes that elicited laughter and a few groans with their corny punch lines.

Team members Kyla Slaugbaugh, Monica Yoder and Carson Bohl took first place in the games, while second place went to Lacey Deplazes, Mya McNeff and Jesse Volk. Robert Dibble, Warren Walker and Ethan Brandt took third place.

Each winner received prizes in metallic blue gift bags.

“We just wanted to get our student body more involved with our FFA chapter and show our younger kids that this is something you could try in your future. I thought we brought really great attention to our chapter by doing this,” Voeller said after the games.

“It was also another way to get older and younger kids together in the community,” Mahle said. Rugby middle schoolers also participated in the games.

“(The week) seems to be going pretty good,” Grice said. “The first day, people were kind of iffy because they didn’t really remember it was FFA Week, but today more people dressed up, participated and things are going good.”

Voeller added with a grin, “Friday — we just got approved for this – it will be Drive Your Tractor to School Day. There will be tractors in the armory parking lot and by the ag department.”

“That will be about 9 o’clock. Everyone’s going to be in the parking lot then. It might be a little after that, if some people take longer to get here,” Voeller added with a laugh.