For Immediate Release
December 14, 2011
Contact: Mike Behymer, (913) 307-3066
Email: mbehymer@rhycom.com

FFA Partners with Rhycom Sports for Consultation Partnership

(Overland Park, KS)—The National FFA Foundation has retained the services of Rhycom Sports, a full-service marketing and sponsorship firm, to assist the Foundation in enhancing its corporate sponsorship program and helping integrate it with the Foundation’s existing fundraising efforts. It’s the first time the Overland Park, KS-based Rhycom Sports has provided its consulting services outside the sports realm. Other initiatives to be executed by Rhycom Sports include integrating the organization’s digital assets into sponsorship opportunities, creating a broad-based, organization-wide sponsorship platform, producing a sponsor-centric sales model and creating additional assets.

“The future of the FFA Foundation is extremely promising,” stated Rhycom Sports President, Mike Behymer. “We’re excited to help this great organization develop new revenue streams.”

Robert Cooper, Executive Director of the National FFA Foundation, outlined four key objectives for the Foundation coming out of its 84th National Convention last month.

   • Create additional, broad-based, corporate support throughout the FFA to supplement its core programs;
   • Evaluate the impact of adding a tier of sponsorship for unrestricted, major partnerships
   • Identify and create new, sponsorable assets that provide a return on investment for FFA partners; and,
   • Fully realize the branding potential of more than 540,000 student members and approximately 7 million
   former members.

“We are very thrilled to be working with Rhycom Sports on this project.” said Todd Greenwood, the Foundation’s Director of Corporate Contributions. “Mike’s knowledge and experience in the area of corporate sponsorship is a perfect fit for us as we continue to move the National FFA Foundation towards the future.”

About FFA
The National FFA Organization, formerly known as Future Farmers of America, is a national youth organization of 523,309 student members as part of 7,487 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. The National FFA Organization operates under a federal charter granted by the 81st United States Congress and it is an integral part of public instruction in agriculture. The U.S. Department of Education provides leadership and helps set direction for FFA as a service to state and local agricultural education programs. For more, visit the National FFA Organization online http://www.ffa.org.

About Rhycom Sports
Rhycom Sports, LLC is a division of Rhycom, Inc. The agency works with organizations, properties, teams and corporations, and specializes in a variety of sports and non-sports services including corporate sponsorship consultation, property rights valuation, business development consultation, sponsorship sales training, sponsorship inventory development, sponsorship negotiation, sponsorship asset integration and sponsorship activation. Prior to Rhycom Sports, Mike Behymer was Senior Vice President for Learfield Sports, and has had stints with the Kansas City Royals (MLB), Kansas City Blades (IHL) and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Additional Rhycom Sports clients include the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), Caption Colorado, Johnson County (Kansas) Parks and Recreation District, New Mexico State University, Wichita State University, Collegiate Consulting, Kansas Recreation and Park Association, Cramer Products, Dreams Retail, Total Sports Entertainment and TxtQuest. For a copy of the release, or for more information on Rhycom Sports, go to http://www.rhycomsports.com