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Young County 4-H Parents Club is holding an exciting fund-raiser this year. The Young County 4-H Scholarship "Drive" will be held Saturday, Sept. 19, at the Young County Arena. The event will feature a "draw down" auction for a 2010 Ford Pickup from Bailey Auto Plaza. Tickets cost $100 for the drawing and include two tickets to a fajita dinner and dance. There will also be silent and live auction items available. Only 350 tickets will be sold. For tickets, see a Young County 4-H member or visit J&N Feed, Buchanan Building Supply, Graham National Bank or First State Bank. Proceeds from the fund-raiser provide college scholarships as well as scholarships for district and state 4-H events and traveling expenses for Young County 4-H youth. (Photo by Clay Stewart)
4-H parents to raffle off 2010 Ford F150 pickup
by By David Rupkalvis
(Posted 8/18/2009 05:03 pm)
Do you want a new pickup truck? How about one that costs just $100?
In September, one lucky person will win a 2010 Ford F150 XL pickup, and it may cost only $100.
The Young County 4-H Parents Club is hosting the 4-H Drive, a fund-raiser to benefit the children who participate in 4-H. The key element to the drive is a raffle for a new pickup. Bailey Auto Plaza has offered to sell the truck to 4-H at its cost, and the parents are working to sell 350 raffle tickets with the lucky ticket winning the truck, $17,000 cash or $17,000 to apply toward the purchase of any vehicle on the lot at Bailey Auto Plaza.
Ann Warren has three children in 4-H and said the truck raffle is an idea the Young County parents borrowed from Jack County.
“The reason we came up with the idea is Jack County had been doing this exact raffle for 20 years,” Warren said. “They’ve done very well with it. Our thought was if Jack County can pull it off, Young County can certainly do it.”
In fact, Leah Renfro said she was told by a Jack County resident that Young County should have no problem equaling their success.
For years, the 4-H Parents Club has raised money through the annual Fall Carnival. While the carnival has always been a success, the amount of money it raises has dwindled. With the profits receding, the club has struggled just to offer college scholarships to graduating seniors.
“If we make enough money, this will replace the carnival,” Renfro said.
“I want to up the image of 4-H,” Warren said. “We need to raise the image of 4-H.”
Changing its fund-raiser is one way. Having more money to help 4-H members is another. While the money will still be used for scholarships, the parents hope to raise enough to help in other ways.
“We want to expand the scholarships,” Kris Camp said. “We want to help kids go to the major livestock shows. We want to help kids go to leadership seminars and competitions.”
Through a little more than two weeks, the parents club has sold 80 tickets for the auction. Camp said she expected the remaining tickets to go quickly. Five tickets will be saved for those who desperately want to win.
“We will have five tickets we will auction off on the night of the event,” Camp said. “At the top 50, we’ll start to auction off these tickets.”
On Sept. 19, a winner will be crowned but not without some drama. Warren explained that unlike many raffles where a winning ticket is drawn, this raffle will be a reverse draw down. The first 300 tickets will be drawn, and the numbers eliminated. Once there is 45 tickets left, an auction will allow a person to buy another ticket.
When the number of tickets is reduced to 40, 30, 20 and 10, auctions will let people have one more chance. The winner will be the last ticket drawn.
While the truck raffle will be the highlight of the celebration Sept. 19, it will only be part of the fun.
“There will be a fajita dinner and dance,” Renfro said. “The event will begin with a fajita dinner followed by live music. Then we’ll begin the draw down and have a silent auction and live auction.”
Some of the items available in the auctions will include a picnic table donated by Southern Bleachers, a football signed by Colt, Chance and Case McCoy and several members of the Texas Longhorns and much more.
The key to the celebration Sept. 19 is only those who have purchased raffle tickets will be allowed in. For each raffle ticket purchased, two tickets will be awarded for the dinner.
While the emphasis of the 4-H Parents Club right now is to sell tickets, the three 4-H moms said the real emphasis is always helping children. Camp said 4-H has made an amazing difference in her family. Her daughter Katharyn has excelled in different events, but her son Nathan has made the most progress. Through 4-H, Nathan has grown from a shy boy who refused to even talk during his first meeting into a boy who is comfortable standing up and discussing the projects he is working on. Nathan is also a two time grand champion in the Young County Junior Livestock Show.
While the top goal for the 4-H Parents Club will always be to give scholarships to qualifying seniors, Warren said the parents hope to do much more. She said the cost of attending a major livestock show and major competition is often difficult for parents, so the club hopes to be able to help.
“We can’t pay it all,” she said. “But if we raise the kind of money we’re expecting to, we can take the edge off. We want to see 4-H grow in Young County. There are a lot of kids here.”
Warren said there is a misconception that 4-H is only for the farm kids — or sows, cows and plows — but in reality it is so much more. She explained that her children are involved in cooking, sewing clothes and public speaking just to name a few. Warren said after Art Splash folded, she hoped 4-H could fill a void left with the end of the Junior Rembrandt Art Show.
But to do what the parents hope, tickets must be sold.
“The key is to sell 345 tickets and auction off the last five,” Warren said.
Tickets can be purchased at every bank in Graham, Newcastle and Olney and at Berend Brothers, J&N Feed, Farmers Milling, Ace Hardware, the Graham Chamber of Commerce and by e-mailing sports@grahamleader.com. For information, call Warren at 521-0595.
AT A GLANCE
* What: 4-H Drive raffle for a 2010 Ford F150 pickup
* When: Tickets on sale now, drawing during celebration dinner Sept. 19
* You Should Know: Tickets cost $100 and can be purchased at all area banks, 4-H parents and 4-H members. Winner can choose between truck, $17,000 cash or $17,000 toward any vehicle on lot at Bailey Auto Plaza.
