FFB&T Newsroom

Greentown Lions Club spearheads preservation and relocation of last round barn in Howard County

 

With commitments of major sponsorships from First Farmers Bank & Trust and Central Indiana Ethanol, the Greentown Lions Club will soon be relocating and restoring the last remaining round barn in Howard County currently located at 7649 E. Rd. 300 S.

The barn, built in the early 1900s by the Armfield Family and generously donated to the organization by the Moyer Family, will soon be relocated to the Howard County Fairgrounds in the Pioneer Village to mark the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the village exhibit at the Howard County Fair.

“Our organization feels that this historical building would make an excellent addition to Pioneer Village. More importantly, we feel that the barn relocation and restoration would further our goal of preserving and celebrating our shared local cultural history,” said Jason Kendall, President of the Greentown Lions Club.

Consistently the most popular attraction during the Howard County 4-H Fair, the Pioneer Village provides educational value to area schools and organizations. Numerous field trips and class educational efforts utilize the exhibit to better understand the cultural history of Indiana Agriculture.

The relocation and reconstruction efforts will be completed by Trillium Dell Timberworks from Knoxville, Illinois, who specialize in historical preservation and construction of timber frame structures.

Major sponsorship commitments have been secured from First Farmers Bank & Trust and Central Indiana Ethanol to aid in overall costs associated with structural renovation and relocation and a local fundraising campaign is underway to cover total costs estimated to be around $250,000.  Local businesses or individuals interested in donating will be recognized by name in various designations and fundraising accounts are currently being accepted at all locations of First Farmers Bank & Trust. 

“Our goal is to support the efforts of the Greentown Lions Club and add further value to the Howard County 4-H Fair. This project will allow us to maintain the historic integrity of a structure very unique to the area and help preserve the agricultural history of our community. We feel that this is an excellent way to provide an example of the “Hoosier Pioneer” way of life to our future generations,” said David Eikenberry, Chief Operating Officer of First Farmers Bank & Trust.  

Jeff Harts of Central Indiana Ethanol added, “This is a perfect example of the community educational projects that CIE is committed to supporting. There is no better way to demonstrate ethanol’s role in the present and future of agriculture than by helping to preserve the history of local agriculture.”

Cards for the Cure Tournament Winners Announced

On Saturday, April 16th, the Greentown Branch of First Farmers Bank & Trust held the first ever Cards for the Cure Euchre Tournament at the Greentown Lions Club building.   Overall, 16 teams entered the tournament and a total of $468.00 was raised and donated to the Howard County Relay for Life.

The teams played progressive euchre.  Each team started together and played two rounds.  Losing teams switched tables and played a winning team, but they had to trade partners at that table.  They played 12 rounds total and joined up at the end with their original partners and combined both scores for a grand total of points.

During the tournament, names were drawn and doorprizes were awarded.  A coolpix digital camera, provided by Sears and the Kokomo Central branch, went to Judy Cannon.  A Texas Roadhouse gift certificate, provided by Dawn Wisler, went to Terry Wright.  A Windmill Grill gift certificate went to Evelyn Sellers.

The runners up in the competition were Phyllis Bowland and Phyllis Picket, with a total of 163 points.  Coming in just ahead of them as Champions of the Tournament were Mary Lou Callis and Don Wicher, with a total of 165 points.  Congratulations to our winners!

The Greentown branch appreciates all of the support that the community has shown for their events to benefit Relay for Life and enjoy coming up with new ways to raise money for a great cause. 

Converse To Hold First Time Homebuyers Seminar in May

The Converse branch will be hosting a First Time Homebuyers Seminar led by the Affordable Housing Corporation.  This 2 day class will teach those looking to purchase their first home everything they need to know about the process of buying a first home, including the options available and the must-haves.  You must attend both sessions as valuable information is shared both nights and attending both will help you become qualified as a first time homebuyer.

 

Where: First Farmers Bank & Trust, Converse Branch

            Larrison Conference Center

           123 N Jefferson

 

When: Wednesday, May 4th and Wednesday, May 11th

           6:00pm-9:00pm

          (MUST be present at both)

 

RSVP: Please contact Mary Sutton at (800) 371-3316 by April 29th to reserve your space.

 

Seating is limited.  Refreshments will be provided.

First Farmers Bank & Trust is an Equal Housing Lender.

 

Kokomo Central's Prettiest Pet Awards Announced!

After 45 submissions and several weeks of voting, the results are in for Kokomo Central's Prettiest Pet!  Overall, $541.53 was collected and donated to the Howard County Relay for Life.  $225 of that was collected as entry fees and $316.53 was collected from votes. 

Here is a photo of the three winning pets!

 

In first place, and winning $25 is Ben (owner Tom Melton)

In second place and winning $15 is Maggie Mae (owner Amy Bousum)

In third place and winning $10 is JoJo (owner JoAnne Jones)

Thanks so much to everyone that contributed to this great cause!

Peru Branches Hold 2nd Chance Prom to Benefit Relay for Life

Did you miss your high school prom and wish you could go back in time and attend it?  Well now's your chance!

Join the Peru and Miami County staff of First Farmers Bank & Trust for a 2nd Chance Prom!  All proceeds will be donated to the Miami County Relay for Life.  This is one of many activities that the Miami County branches host during the year to benefit Relay. The 2nd Chance Prom will take place on Saturday, April 16th from 8:00-pm-midnight at the Peru Moose Lodge. 

Tickets are $10 per person and they can be purchased at any Miami County FFBT branch or at the Peru Moose Lodge.  Tickets will also be available at the door.  The Peru Moose Lodge is located at 110 N Broadway.

Prom attire is optional and there will be a DJ, Cash Bar, Hors d'Oeuvres, and more!  Don't miss this great event!

For more information or for questions, please contact Amy Million at (765) 469-4343.

Huntington Branch to Hold Grand Opening Ceremony

Huntington— First Farmers Bank & Trust will host a Grand Opening Celebration and Ribbon-Cutting at its newly completed Huntington branch location on Thursday, March 24th from 12:00-4:00pm. Free refreshments and gifts will be available to all guests at the event, located at 244 Hauenstein Road (near Wal-Mart Plaza).  

The new building incorporates larger office and teller space than their previous facility with two drive-up lanes and 24-hour ATM availability.  First Farmers Bank & Trust is an $825 million dollar bank based in Converse, IN with 20 locations in Indiana and over 225 employees. For more information on the event or on First Farmers Bank & Trust, please contact Shari Spahr at (877) 359-2165 or visit their website at www.ffbt.com.

2011 Ag Client Seminar Video Clips

This year's Ag Client Seminar was a huge success.  For those of you who were unable to make it or for those of you that want to see it again, below are some edited versions of the speeches from Gene, Norman, John, and Stan. 

  

Kokomo Central Holding First Annual "Pretty Pet Contest" to Benefit Relay for Life

As many of you know, the Greentown Branch does many events and activities throughout the year to raise money for Relay for Life.  This year, they challenged the other Howard County branches to come up with ideas to help raise money and Kokomo Central has done just that!

The event is called the "Pretty Pet Contest".  From now until February 25th, you can enter a photo of your pet for a $5 entry fee.  From the beginning of March until March 25th, the public can come into the branch and vote for the prettiest pet by putting money in a jar that is designated for the pet.  At the end of March, the employees at the Kokomo Central branch will add up the money received for each pet and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place cash prizes will be awarded to the top three earners, respectively.  The $5 entry fee and the money collected from each pet will be donated to Relay for Life.

The cash prizes for top 3 prettiest pets are as follows:

1st place: $25.00

2nd place: $15.00

3rd place: $10.00

If you are interested in submitting a photo of your pet, stop by any First Farmers branch office to drop off the photo along with your $5 entry fee.  They can send both on to the Kokomo Central branch.  Be sure to get it submitted by the February 25th deadline though! 

Also, be sure to stop from the beginning of March through March 25th to vote for your favorites!

Thursday Weather Closings

*UPDATE: Starke and Tipton Counties have lifted their Level 1 Emergency status and the branches will be opening as soon as they are able to get into the branch.

All 20 First Farmers branches are now OPEN. Thank you for your patience as we've had to accomodate to the winter weather.

Tipton, North Judson, and Knox are closed today due to the Level 1 Emergency status. We'll keep you posted as the levels in these counties are lifted.

 

Wednesday Weather Closings

Update to Wednesday Weather Closings (12:00PM)

*All branches of First Farmers will be closing at 1:00PM today.

 

All branches that are located in Level 1 Emergency Status will be closed until the status is lifted. These branches include: Knox, North Judson, Culver, Wabash, Huntington, Marion, Tipton, and Sheridan.  We'll continue to update you as we know more.