By MICHELLE BERAN
Cottonwood Extension District
Whew! The Barton County Fair concluded on Sunday, June 30 and I have some thank you messages to share.
Let me start with a huge Thank You to the 4-H families who adjusted this year and who pitched in to help with set up, with clean up, and with supporting other 4-H families throughout the week!
My next Thank You is to the Barton County Fair Association. This dedicated group of volunteers works so hard – all year – to plan, organize, and fundraise to present a family-friendly community event with the goal of showcasing 4-H project learning and agriculture in Barton County.
In addition to the Barton County Fair Association, it takes a team and I cannot thank the educators and staff across the Cottonwood Extension District enough for their teamwork and steady support!
An important Thank You also goes to each vendor and sponsor – the fair couldn’t happen without your community involvement! No matter the size of sponsorship, your engagement is much appreciated.
An additional Thank You is due to community members who attend the Business Appreciation Breakfast and take a few minutes to check out exhibits; to the community members who bring Open Class entries; to the community members who walk through the displays and spend money with vendors and commercial exhibitors!
Another Thank You is due to Chambers of Commerce across Barton County, Great Bend Economic Development, and Great Bend Convention and Visitors Bureau for sharing information and schedules in ways that reach far beyond our county lines.
To round out two big Thank You messages: to everyone who attended the 4-H BBQ as this is the fundraiser for 4-H Council for events and activities as well as everyone who attended and bid on an item during the 4-H Premium Auction. Most 4-H members will reinvest those funds in a market animal project for next year or put the monies away for school in the future. Your support of these two events are invaluable!
Keep learning. Keep showing grace and kindness!
Michelle Beran is the 4-H Youth Development Agent in the Cottonwood Extension District. For more information on this article or other 4-H Youth Development resources, email Michelle at [email protected] or call Cottonwood Extension District – Barton Office at 620-793-1910.