Following directives from Governor DeWine’s Order, the State and Local Health Department and the Fairfield County Senior Fairboard recommendations, the Fairfield County 4-H Endowment Committee’s Pancake Breakfast at the 2020 Fairfield County Fair was cancelled.  This event has always been used as an fun awareness event for the Endowment Committee to welcome visitors to our County Fair.

With so many events being cancelled in 2020, the 4-H Endowment Committee was also forced to cancel their  major fund-raising event in June  “The Legacy Dinner.”     Thanks to the generosity of the local donors we were able to raise enough money to pay the $5.00 County Wide dues for over 940 youth involved in 4-H work in 2020. While this year has been anything but normal for all of us, one thing remains constant…Leaving a Legacy for Fairfield County youth to benefit from lessons learned in 4-H Clubs, Committees and Competitions is important to the success of today’s young people who chose to involved in 4-H project work!!   We sincerely thank you for your support!

In today’s climate of “masks or no masks” it is often difficult to share a simple smile. So, when is the last time you picked up a pen and paper and wrote a note of thanks to someone who made your day a little brighter and a little better?

The Fairfield County 4-H Endowment Board is just like every other group who has cancelled their one and only major fund raiser in 2020, but still knew there was just a little something more they could do. With a lot of faith in community, we announced the cancellation of the 11th Annual Endowment Dinner. We then asked the community to help us help each of the 1,000 4-H youth in Fairfield County pay of their County 4-H dues. Did the community step up..they sure did!! The $5,000 dollars needed was raised and we even have a good start on dues for 2021. But the investment was not just about County 4-H dues, it was all about teaching our young people the importance of a simple thank you.

If you will recall, at the 2019 Fairfield County Fair, the Thank You Note Project was a major display in the AgMazing Agriculture building. Knowing the dedication of our 4-H families, we hoped the ability write a note to say thanks might catch on. And it did, over 300 thank you notes were written to sponsors of awards, mentors, teachers and even buyers at the livestock auction. The Endowment Committee paid the postage for all of those thank you notes sent in 2019 and plan to do the same in 2020.

It remains to be seen what the Thank You Note Project might look like at the 2020 Fair. But the simple gesture of saying “Thank You” should never get lost, even during a pandemic. We are so proud of our 4-H youth and the Wild About Animals 4-H club for believing in the power of a Thank You Note.

The Fairfield County 4-H Endowment Board would like to thank all of our donors for your generous support of their effort to pay for County 4-H dues for the youth enrolled in the Fairfield County 4-H Program in 2020.  We have reached our goal and are well on our way to paying for the 2021 dues too.  The enthusiasm and support for this one-time “give back” to 4-H members was amazing.  We simply cannot say thank you enough for your generosity.

So, here is a little perspective of how those dues dollars have been used:

• Several of you chose to invest in our long term goal of empowering youth for many years to come thru your contributions made to the Fairfield County Foundation 4-H Endowment Fund and the Fairfield County 4-H Ohio State University Fund. Thank you for helping to Leave a Legacy for future generations!!
• There were 103 youth enrolled in a virtual 4-H Camp in June, you helped to purchase a few of the supplies for their virtual camp experience.
• Your dollars helped to sponsor 4-H Family Guides for every one of the families enrolled in the Fairfield County 4-H Program.
• In addition, monies for County Dues also provided flag sets to all new County 4-H Clubs, and judges for all the Summer Judging that will be happening in the middle of July.

If you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact any one of the Endowment Board members.  Or, if you would like to make a donation, simply send a check to the Fairfield County 4-H Endowment at PO Box 564, Lancaster, Ohio 43130.

Again, the support for our one time giving initiative during COVID 19 Pandemic was outstanding!  We sincerely thank you for believing in the Fairfield County 4-H program and the 1,000 youth it serves.

This evening, on the eve of what could have and should have been the 11th Annual Fairfield County 4-H Endowment’s Legacy Dinner most of us are at home eating what Dennis the Menace calls “groceries again!” Everyone on the Endowment Board and our 300 guests always look forward to sharing this fun evening of good food and good friends to raise funds to continue the legacy and tradition of the 4-H Program.

This year it is different, there is no Legacy Dinner due to COVID-19 and the Endowment Board decided in mid-April to cancel the Dinner. The Board knew there was absolutely no way to adequately have social distancing measures in place. But over the year’s what fun we have had!!!

In 2020, due to the pandemic the Endowment Board met virtually and decided a new initiative was in order. A one-time ask for donations to help cover the cost of County-Wide Dues for every member of the Fairfield County 4-H program. Our goal was $5,000.00 for 1,000 youth in the 4-H program. Today, on the eve of what would have been the June 11, 2020 Legacy Dinner we have not only reached but exceeded the goal!! Thank you to all of those who have donated to help us reach the goal of paying 4-H dues for our 4-H youth. Thank you for believing what every member of the Endowment Board believes..in the end, it is really all about the kids!!

If you would like to donate, the donations received in excessive of the $5,000 amount needed will be used for County Wide Dues for 4-H Clubs in 2021. You can send your donation directly: Fairfield County 4-H Endowment  P.O. Box 564, Lancaster, Ohio 43130 or contact any of our Board members for more information.

The ‘Giving Tree’ offers another alternative for folks to give back to 4-H. In this brief video, Sherry Kilbarger explains how money, up to a total of $1000, donated to the Fairfield County 4-H Endowment through the ‘Giving Tree’ will be matched by Ohio State, thus, doubling the value of your donation.

Have you ever wondered why a couple of local businessmen might feel it important to find a way to give back to their 4-H roots? Connie visits with Fairfield County 4-H alums Ron Ruff and Steve Eversole and explores why they take time each year to participate in the activities of the 4-H Endowment Board, and the annual Legacy Dinner and Auction.

In this segment of Fairfield Focus, Connie visits with Fairfield County 4-H Endowment Board President Ron Ruff about the upcoming Legacy Dinner & Auction and why he’s passionate about serving on the Endowment Board.