4-H and fair board donate 30 bikes
- Doug Foxx OSU Extension Wayne County
- December 20, 2021
- 1026
People often associate 4-H as being the recipient of donations and sponsorships from local businesses and supporters that sponsor awards, purchase livestock and do other things to help the youth of Wayne County. We are very grateful for the community’s support.
However, did you know our 4-H youth are engaged in service-learning opportunities throughout the year where they also are learning what it’s like to give back to their community — a life skill we hope is ingrained in them throughout their youth so they become caring and contributing adults?
To help achieve this goal, for the past 17 years Wayne County 4-H and the Wayne County Senior Fair Board have been joining forces to help ensure local youth have something bright and shiny under the Christmas tree. This year several 4-H clubs, senior fair board members and Shreve Hardware all donated funds totaling $3,000 to cover the cost of purchasing 30 bicycles for youth whose families may not be able to afford them. Shreve Hardware ordered in the bikes, and the Wayne County 4-H Junior Leaders Club and senior fair board met together on Dec. 6 to assemble the bikes.
Since the inception of this project, originally inspired by country music singer Aaron Tippin’s performance at the Wayne County Fair, where he assembled the first bike that kicked off this effort, Wayne County 4-H members have raised funds to buy, assemble and donate more than 500 bikes to kids around Wayne County.
After being assembled, fair board members deliver the bikes to local charities conducting children’s Christmas toy drives. Organizations receiving bikes this year to distribute to children are the Salvation Army, People to People Ministries and the Wayne County Children Services Department.
Doug Foxx is an OSU Extension 4-H youth development educator and may be called at 330-264-8722.