J D Equipment recently presented a check for $28,000 to the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research on board the annual Buckeye Cruise for Cancer this past February. This was J D's second year presenting a check to the Spielman Fund on the Buckeye Cruise. The $28,000 they donated was raised during their annual fundraiser based on sales of new John Deere Select Series lawn tractors. They were happy to increase their 2012 donation from their 2011 total of $26,000.

That check was a small piece of the overall contributions the company made to local businesses and organizations over the past year. In 2012 alone, a total of $741,328 was donated to support agricultural organizations, county fairs, FFA, 4H, education and local charitable organizations by J D Equipment.

The largest donation was $280,119 which went to schools and educational support. There is nothing more important to J D Equipment and its owners than the future - the youth - of its industry. "Making sure that kids who are interested in agriculture have ample opportunities to participate and learn from ag programs is a responsibility we have taken upon ourselves," says J D's CEO, Jeff Mitchell.

To their point, the company provides equipment all year to educational and training programs such as the Ohio State University's Molly Caren Agriculture Center (also home to the nationally know Farm Science Review each fall). They work with the schools in their local communities to sponsor new billboards, renovations, and athletic boosters. They work with local agricultural colleges to sponsor students' tuition to help support them while in school. They also partnered with the National FFA and John Deere to give out five $2,000 scholarships to high school FFA students

Agricultural and charitable organizations received the second biggest portion of the funds J D donated in 2012, with a total of $238,959. With stores in eight towns, J D supports a variety of local FFA Chapters, 4H programs, and agricultural fundraisers. For example, they gave $5,000 to the Tough Enough to Wear Pink horse show fundraiser for breast cancer research. They sponsor local community festivals and provide equipment for events such as Pelotonia.

Also deeply rooted in the agricultural community are the state and county fairs to which J D contributed a total of $194,250. They attended 33 county fairs last year where they bid and purchased livestock during the 4H auctions at all of them. They partnered with local companies at the Ohio State Fair to purchase the Grand Champion Market Beef which went for $70,000 and the Grand Champion Market Barrow which sold for $35,000. They also sponsor awards, provide equipment and donate items to county fairs.

J D Equipment is a family-owned business with a long history of supporting several charitable causes in the communities where its customers and employees reside. J D Equipment was founded in Plain City, Ohio in 1982. Over the past 30 years, they have grown to become Ohio's largest John Deere dealer, with eight locations and more than 300 employees. They pride themselves on their commitment to their customers and their employees.

You can follow the amount J D Equipment has given back to the community at www.jdequipment.com/donations. J D will be continuing their Spielman Fundraiser in 2013, where you can watch the total grow at www.jdequipment.com. For information about purchasing a 100, 300, 500 or 700 series John Deere lawn mower and contributing to the Spielman Fund, contact the store nearest you by calling London (614-879-6620), Easton (614-475-0707), Hilliard (614-527-8800), Lancaster (740- 653-6951), Marion (740-389-5458), Washington Court House (740-335-2071), Wilmington (937-486- 5211), or Zanesville (740-450-7446).