Twenty-eight teams tee off Friday at Walking Stick Golf Course in Pueblo for a tournament supporting 4-H, Future Farmers of America and capital improvements at the Colorado State Fair.

Now in its 11th year, the Partners of Youth in Ag Golf Tournament — held with the Colorado State Fair Foundation — raises money for scholarships and youth development programs.

The event draws business leaders and lawmakers and has generated $300,000 over the past decade, funding upgrades to dormitories, the Showcase Barn, the horse barn, the sheep and swine barn and the ag pavilion at the fairgrounds.

The tournament was created by former state Senate President Leroy Garcia of Pueblo and community leader Vince Guerrero, launching while Garcia served in the Colorado Senate.

Garcia told Colorado Politics this week the tournament is among the kickoff events for the 10-day state fair that runs through Labor Day.

“We wanted an opportunity to showcase Pueblo a little more and get people down to Pueblo a little earlier” in the fair’s first day, Garcia said.

“When Vince and I launched this tournament a decade ago, we had a simple goal — bring people together to support the next generation of agricultural leaders,” Garcia said in a statement.

When the tournament started in 2015, they barely broke even. More than a decade later, Garcia said the tournament has become “a driving force for real impact,” raising thousands of dollars annually and creating lasting opportunities for Colorado’s youth.

He added, “It’s a testament to what community can accomplish when we rally behind a purpose bigger than ourselves.”

Guerrero added that “When we started this, it was about more than golf — it was about giving back to the community that raised us. Each year, we’ve seen more people come out to support the youth and the future of agriculture in Colorado.”

Following the tournament, most of the participants head over to the state fair to chow down at the annual legislative barbecue.