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Foundation Joins Twitter, Instagram 

The Iowa 4-H Foundation is always striving to reach out to more Iowa 4-H believers across the state. We also want to keep all current donors in the loop on everything the Foundation is doing from the Missouri to the Mississippi to fund the Iowa 4-H program. Under the direction of Brooke Young, our new Administrative Specialist, the Foundation has expanded it's reach on the web! You can now find a Twitter account completely dedicated to  the Iowa 4-H Foundation. You can view photos and even videos of golf events, the state 4-H conference banquet and future events such as Hall of Fame and Gala on our own Instagram!

Head over to our NEW Instagram page and see and hear highlights from exciting donors and Iowa's 4-H youth >>  
Calling All Photographers
The Iowa 4-H Foundation is currently looking to create an ongoing roster of volunteer photographers who would like to play an active role in our many events.  Our immediate need is a photographer willing to capture the Iowa State Fair Hall of Fame Event (Sunday, 8/18) and the Eastern Iowa Golf Benefit (Friday, 8/23).  We like to have FUN at these events and want to include YOU as an extension of our team. Contact the Foundation's Intern, Carter Collins, at ccollins@iastate.edu or 1-515-294-1607 if you are interested. Thank you in advance for sharing your talents!
Board Thanks Sauer-Danfoss
The Quarterly Iowa 4-H Board of Trustee Meeting was held at Sauer-Danfoss in Ames, Iowa on June 26, 2013. The Trustees were welcomed by hospitable staff at Sauer-Danfoss and had the opportunity to learn more about what they do as the fourth largest employer in Ames.  The Foundation Board thanks them for their generous support of the Iowa 4-H program. 
Successful Farming Farm Beautiful Photo Contest
Do Iowa 4-H'ers have the photography skills?! In 1992, Successful Farming magazine ran the first Farm Beautiful contest to discover the most picturesque farms in the nation. The magazine has brought back this contest with a prize for the three winners that will be selected from contest entries. They will receive Exmark Lazer mowers! These heavy-duty machines are designed for power, performance, and operator comfort. Farm Beautiful prize winners will receive a Model LZX801KA606 Lazer mower worth about $12,000 each! Do you think your farm is worthy? Here's what it takes to be a Farm Beautiful winner. Enter the FREE contest that ends on JULY 31, 2013. Register and summit your entries online!

Click here to summit and learn more about the contest! >>>  

Save the Date


Iowa State Fair

August 8-18, 2013
Iowa State Fairgrounds,
Des Moines

4-H State Council Reunion
August 10, 2013
Iowa State Fairgrounds,
Des Moines

Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame
August 18, 2013
4-H Exhibit Building
Iowa State Fairgrounds,
Des Moines

Eastern Iowa Golf Benefit
August 23, 2013 
Blue Top Ridge, Riverside

Hoedown Throwdown with the University of Iowa Collegiate 4-H Group
September 1, 2013
4 pm - 7 pm
University of Iowa Campus,
Iowa City 
 
5th Annual Iowa 4-H Gala 
February 22, 2014
Prairie Meadows,  
Altoona  
4-H Homepage
  
Funding Opportunities for Iowa's Youth
7/24/13
Kris's Korner

 4-H Youth and Adult Partnerships is STILL  where it's all at!

 

There's a great deal to be inspired by, even if you just drop in for a small segment of the Iowa State 4-H Conference.  For starters, there are between 850-1000 kids from all over the state of Iowa that attend this forum, which is planned FOR youth, BY youth annually.  It's a great opportunity to see other kids and do things out of your comfort zone (like get up on stage and rip an envelope full of Andrew Jacksons to shreds during the banquet's magic act or sing your heart out to "Leave the Pieces" by The Wreakers in "Iowa 4-H Talent").  It also allows you to celebrate all the great things happening in 4-H and lift up the recipients of various awards (National 4-H Congress, National 4-H Conference, State 4-H awards and 4-H'ers for 4-H).  And to top it off, there are dances two nights in a row, and at the second one you get to wear your best threads to!  Yes, it is not uncommon to see prom dresses and suits and ties for the banquet and evening entertainment that follows.  Hilton Coliseum full of youthful energy and bright, shining faces, beautiful dresses and "Sunday best" clothes ... now THAT is something to see!

 
Foundation introduces Coin Wars for County Endowments at Iowa State Fair
With three weeks until the 2013 Iowa State Fair, the Foundation is ready and excited to join in on the 4-H excitement during one of the busiest times of the Iowa 4-H season.

Be sure to stop by our booth in the 4-H Exhibits Building on the Iowa State Fairgrounds to learn more about what the Iowa 4-H Foundation does for today's 4-H youth and the opportunities we provide for past 4-H'ers to make a lasting legacy.

Foundation Staff will be making numerous stops to the 4-H Exhibits Building and around the fairgrounds during August 8-18. The Foundation will be present for a five day stint from August 8-12 to facilitate the first ever Iowa State Fair Coin Wars competition among the five 4-H  Areas! With an overall goal of raising $2,000 for the winning area's 4-H County Endowments, that's just $400 per area, the area with the most points will take home all the money raised. Counties within the winning area that have endowment funds will take home a share of the total money raised during this campaign. Let the battle between 4-H areas begin and may the best County Endowments win!

Read more about point system to determine the winner on the Iowa 4-H Foundation Blog >>>>>

The Foundation will also be hosting it's second State 4-H Council Reunion for all CURRENT and PAST Council members on Saturday, August 10 from 6 PM- 8 PM in the 4-H exhibit building. State Council alum will be receiving an email in the coming weeks with more details, but if you have any immediate questions you can email past 4-H State Council member and the Foundation's Executive Director Kris Fish Kuhlmann at fund4h@iastate.edu. Feel free to contact Kris if you are a council alum so that you are sure to receive an email and are not left out!

The Foundation also proudly sponsors the Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame, and this year the event will again be held on the stage of the 4-H Exhibits Building on August 18. All 99 Iowa Counties
are eligible to nominate volunteers, community leaders, and Extension staff members who have exemplified outstanding service and dedication to the 4-H youth program in their county. We are pleased to celebrate these recipients! 
 
Claudia Putnam Honored with the Loren Kruse/Sucessful Farming Outstanding Volunteer 4-H Leader Award   
Upon the retirement of Successful Farming's Editor-in-Chief Loren Kruse,  Meredith Corporation Foundation and Edwin T. Meredith Foundations honored him with a $25,000 gift to the Iowa 4-H Foundation. The donation establishes an endowment  to honor one outstanding 4-H volunteer leader every year. At last month's Iowa 4-H Youth Conference, the first Loren Kruse/Successful Farming Outstanding Volunteer 4-H Leader Award was presented to Muscatine County 4-H Leader Claudia Putnam.

Claudia was nominated by a young 4-H'er in the club she leads because of her ability to inspire him to reach above his potential beyond what he thought he could achieve on his own merits. This is much like Loren Kruse's famous 4-H story of how he was able to overcome his fear of public speaking thanks to his 4-H leader. Loren credits this leader central to his success. Loren and Claudia's stories showcase the ideal scenario the 4-H program strives to see all across the state of Iowa. Now, thanks to the Meredith Corporation Foundation and Edwin T. Meredith Foundation, the Iowa 4-H Foundation proudly honors Iowa 4-H Leaders who make the best better.

Read about all the contributions of the 2013 Outstanding Iowa 4-H Leader Claudia Putnam >>>
Over $24,000 raised by Iowa 4-H'ers 
The Iowa 4-H Foundation was presented with a $24,063.27 check by the 2012-2013 Iowa 4-H State Council on Wednesday, June 26 at the 2013 Iowa 4-H Youth Conference Banquet. This money was raised through the annual 4-H'ers for 4-H Campaign to help support Iowa 4-H youth programs across the state. This challenge was given to counties and 4-H members by the State Council members. This year, 356 4-H clubs representing 79 counties participated in the campaign. In the past 28 years, Iowa 4-H members have contributed more than $725,000 to support Iowa 4-H. You can find photos of the 2013 Iowa State 4-H Youth Conference on our Flicker page.

To read more and to view the 2013 4-H'ers for 4-H Campaign Winners follow this link. >>>
Central Iowa chips in for 4-H at Golf Benefit 
The second of three golf tournaments was held Monday, July 15 at the Hyperion Field Club in Johnston. The Central "Going for the Green" Annual 4-H Golf Benefit presented by Iowa Soybean Association was a swinging success, raising over $45,000 for Iowa 4-H youth.  

 

104 golfers and Aaron Thomas, the 2013 Central Celebrity Golfer, enjoyed the fantastically planned benefit by the Central Iowa 4-H Golf Benefit Committee. Iowa Soybean Association, the presenting sponsor for all three golf events this year, made sure all of our golfers took in the beauty of Central Iowa's premium golf course. Two Golf teams from our tournament sponsors from John Deere, Firestone, Iowa Farm Bureau and Successful Farming kept the 4-H fun event competitive for first place. The Foundation thanks Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling, Bratney Companies, Kemin, Nationwide Mutual Insurance and Oxbo International Corporation for keeping all the golfers cool on the hot, sunny July day with their  hospitality sponsorship. Photos of the teams can be found on our Facebook page.

 

Sounds like fun and don't want to miss out? No worries, ONE more golf benefit remains for the 2013 golf season! Limited spots are available, so be sure to register your team today for the Eastern Golf Tournament. You and your team can go for the green in Riverside at the Blue Top Ridge Golf Course on August 23.

 

Sponsorships are still available for this golf outing;  if interested contact Albert Grunenwald at 515.294.4780
 or abgrunen@iastate.edu.
 

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