Agriculture in the Classroom is a grassroots program coordinated by the United States Department of Agriculture. Its goal is to help students gain a greater awareness of the role of agriculture in the economy and society, so that they may become citizens who support wise agricultural policies. Being a professional Agriculture Fraternity, Alpha Gamma Rho feels strongly about spreading awareness of agriculture to children who may have otherwise never had a chance to learn about the many benefits gained by agriculture. The brothers of Alpha Upsilon donate $5000 every year to this wonderful organization, and look forward to supporting Ag in the Classroom for many years to come.
The Alpha Upsilon Chapter’s main fundraisers are the annual Ms. Greek contest and the biannual Hillbilly Car Wash. Ms. Greek is a themed beauty pageant for all of the sororities on the UTM campus. It is held every fall semester and always has a great turnout. Every sorority enters at least one contestant who is judged in several different categories including formal wear, evening wear, themed wear and several rounds of questions. The Hillbilly Car Wash is a car wash that is done by the brothers of Alpha Upsilon every semester. Every brother sells tickets during the weeks preceding the car wash. For a donation of $5, a person can get their car washed as well as eat a hamburger lunch grilled by the brothers. Both of these events are very successful and all of the money raised goes to Agriculture in the Classroom.