The Iowa 4-H Foundation hosted its 5th Annual Central Iowa and First-Ever Eastern Iowa 4-H Foundation Gala to raise funds for Iowa’s 4-H Youth.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 7, 2014
CONTACTS:
Brittany Behrendsen Brooke Young
Marketing Intern Administrative Specialist
Iowa 4-H Foundation Iowa 4-H Foundation
britkae@iastate.edu brookey@iastate.edu
(515) 294-1607 (515) 294-1537
Iowa 4-H Foundation Raises More Than $100,000
The Iowa 4-H Foundation hosted its 5th Annual Central Iowa and First-Ever Eastern Iowa 4-H Foundation Gala to raise funds for Iowa’s 4-H Youth.
AMES, Iowa – Despite the wintery weather conditions, there were 375 individuals in attendance between two spectacular evenings - the Central Iowa 4-H Foundation Gala presented by John Deere on February 22 at Prairie Meadows Event and Conference Center in Altoona, Iowa, and the Eastern Iowa 4-H Foundation Gala held on March 1 at The Celebration Farm in Iowa City, Iowa. Attendees at both events enjoyed great food, lively social/reunion opportunity and more than 230 silent and live auction items up for bid.
“We were astounded with the support we received from the 4-H family across the state. Their generosity will help the foundation continue to “make the best better” for Iowa 4-H’ers,” said Brooke Young, Gala Event Coordinator.
This event wouldn’t be possible without the dedicated volunteers, sponsors, auction item donors and supporters of the Iowa 4-H Foundation who helped to raise over $100,000. Proceeds from this event will fund many opportunities for Iowa 4-H youth including membership fee support, tuition scholarships, state-level award recognition, and national 4-H trips.
The centerpiece dessert auction was a sweet success once again. “When the first cheesecake sold for $1,200, we could tell we had an audience ready to support 4-H!” responded Mitch Baum, Iowa 4-H Foundation board President. This year’s Fund-A-Need portion of the auction raised more than $10,000 to support the Iowa 4-H Center, which welcomes youth each summer to an outdoor learning environment. This special project for the 2014 Gala will benefit needed repairs and upgrades to the camp facility including the construction of a new Safe Room.
Iowa 4-H youth played a role in fundraising by donating 26 of their award winning exhibits from the Iowa State Fair and local county fairs. These projects raised over $2,700. Half of the proceeds will be returned to the 4-H’ers club or county, as designated by the 4-H’er. Young stated, “Funds raised at Gala events will help support the Iowa 4-H program, which makes it fitting to have included 4-H’ers as a fundraising component of the auction.”
The Iowa 4-H Foundation partnered with Polk County Extension and Outreach to provide unique auction items and sponsorship support. A significant portion of the proceeds for those items will benefit the Polk County Endowment Fund. “In our first year of our partnership of the Iowa 4-H Gala (2013), our endowment increased by nearly 50%. The Polk County 4-H Endowment has benefited youth by sending them to national 4-H events, provided for local opportunities and academic scholarships,” said Andrea Nelson, Executive Director of Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Polk County.
The Iowa 4-H Foundation Gala reached a significant milestone this year. In its fifth year, the 4-H Gala has raised a net total of over $350,000 for Iowa 4-H youth. This includes over $37,500 for special projects from the Fund-A-Need. “The outpouring of support from our 4-H friends has been instrumental in the success and growth of our Gala event in the past five years,” said Kris Fish Kuhlmann, Executive Director of the Iowa 4-H Foundation. “We were able to get a terrific kick start on fund raising, with just under 50% of our revenue from generous donors like Presenting Sponsor John Deere, event sponsors Summit Farms/Bruce Rastetter and The Celebration Farm, and hospitality sponsors Bridgestone/Firestone Ag, Iowa Farm Bureau, Nationwide/Nationwide Agribusiness and Polk County Extension Council.”
Additional table sponsorship support was provided by: Mitch & Kristin Baum, Cy Hawk Spray Foam Insulation, DuPont Pioneer, Eldon C. Stutsman Inc., Heartland Marketing, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Jacobson Companies, John Deere, Kris Fish Kuhlmann & Rick Dobesh, Sue & Harold Peyton, Polk County Cattleman, and Successful Farming.
The Iowa 4-H Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization, was founded in 1949 to fund opportunities through Iowa 4-H. The Iowa 4-H Programs help youth to enhance their ability to use critical thinking, leadership and communication skills. Iowa 4-H is one part of the nation’s largest youth development organization. The Iowa 4-H Program follows the principles of experiential learning and draws on the knowledge base of Iowa State University and other land-grant universities across the nation.
Photos from the events can be found at www.flickr.com/iowa4h
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The Iowa 4-H Foundation provides the private financial resources to develop and deliver quality 4-H youth programs throughout the state of Iowa. These opportunities help young people enhance their ability to use critical thinking, leadership, communication, and social skills – tools that will give them a competitive edge in their future endeavors.
