Thanks to a generous gift from Trey and Chelsea Warnock, the front porch of the UF/IFAS Beef Teaching Unit (BTU) multi-purpose building will be named the “Sam Tripson Memorial Porch.” The goal is to raise $30,000 to endow the Sam Tripson Memorial Fund, an endowment which will provide annual support for the BTU’s operations and management in perpetuity.
With a 200-head capacity feed yard and 40-head cow/calf operation, the BTU provides hands-on training to the students enrolled in the UF/IFAS Animal Sciences program. It also hosts Extension and training programs supporting the Florida beef cattle industry.
The Warnocks made this gift in memory of Samuel Rupert Tripson, who sadly passed away in 2015 after a hard-fought battle with cancer.
Descended from a long line of Indian River cattlemen and citrus growers, Sam graduated from the University of Florida with a B.S. in Agricultural Operations Management in 2008. During college and after graduation, Sam worked as a ranch manager for Dr. Roger West in Gainesville before beginning his career with Helena Chemical Company.
Sam was a proud brother of Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity, a lifetime member of the UF Alumni Association, Secretary of the Indian River County Cattlemen’s Association, a member of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, and an adamant supporter of Indian River County 4-H.
Sam raised livestock through the Indian River County 4-H program, and was eager to share his knowledge and respect for agriculture with the next generation. This, along with caring for his family, was one of Sam’s greatest joys in life. The Sam Tripson Memorial Fund is an enduring legacy of Sam’s passion for agriculture and the University of Florida.
If you would like to support the BTU through the Sam Tripson Memorial Fund, you can give online by clicking here: 
Checks payable to UF Foundation can be mailed to UF/IFAS Advancement, ATTN: Sam Tripson Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 110170, Gainesville, FL 32611. For additional ways to give, or to discuss other opportunities to support UF/IFAS, please contact UF/IFAS Advancement at advancement@ifas.ufl.edu or (352) 392-1975.
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