Community Honors Teen's Love of Livestock by Raising $29,700 at Auction

By Autumn Johnson

The 4H community at the Alameda County Fair was saddened as news spread Saturday morning that one of their own had died. John Aaron Jennings, 17, of Livermore died last week. Jennings was an FFA member, rodeo champion and student at Livermore High School. The cause of Jennings death has not been released. 

[Related article: Community Mourns Death of Livermore High School Student]

Upon hearing the news of Jennings' death, the 4H exhibitors, parents and Board of Directors at the fair decided to help Jennings' family, according to fair officials. Jennings' hogs, which he had raised for the fair, were put up for auction on July 6 and buyers willingly paid handsomely for each animal.

The hogs were shown by Blake Jennings, Jennings' brother, Bailey Powell, Jennings' cousin said.

According to Tiffany Burrow, of the Alameda County Fair, the auction event was a somber one.

"We found out Saturday morning that Aaron had passed and a group got together to help the family," Burrow said. "The first 210 pound hog sold for $42 per pound, which raised $8,820. The second hog, which weighed 259 pounds, sold for $26 and raised another $6,734."

Burrow says that after the second hog sold, the auctioneer asked for any "add-on donations" from the crowd, which solicited another $13,000 in donations ranging from $100 donations to $1000 donations.

Powell told Patch, via email: 

"The auctioneer announced that they would be doing a 'fund-in-need' and if any bidder wanted to donate $100 they could raise their paddle, if they wanted to donate more they were instructed to hold up the correlating fingers to the amount they wanted to give. I was amazed to see a sea of yellow paddles raise into the air, the auctioneer went back and fourth across the arena at least 3 times and by the time we were done the 4-H/FFA community had donated another $14,400. In under 30 minutes $29,700 was raised for the family of a wonderfully sweet boy who was taken from this earth far too soon."

Burrows says Jennings was no stranger to showing livestock at the fair.

"It is a six month project to raise a pig," Burrows said. "This was not the first time Aaron had shown animals at the fair."

A fund has been created at the Livermore Branch of the Valley Community Bank to help the Jennings family cover the funeral costs and also to set up scholarship funds and awards for the Livermore FFA and Nor Cal Jr Rodeo.

Donations can also be sent to:

Guy and Theresa Jennings
c/o J.M. Maita Construction, Inc.
6052 Industrial Way, Suite E
Livermore, CA 94551