On Saturday evening, Oct. 24, theLincolnCounty 4-H Club held its annual fundraiser, with a pig roast and a 55-item auction at the Lincoln County Fairgrounds in Chandler. The fundraiser has been held every year for the last 26 years (except 2020 due to COVID) to offset costs for camps, out-of-state trips, the Youth in Action Conference and Rule of Law scholarship opportunities. The Rule of Law scholarship is an Oklahoma 4-H endowment that assists active 4-H members to attend theCitizenshipWashington Focus high school leadership forum in Washington, D.C.
According to Ross Sestak of the Oklahoma State University (OSU) Extension office in Chandler, Lincoln County is the only county in Oklahoma that pays for its own out-of-state trips, with no subsidies from the state. So, for this local chapter of 4-H, the largest fundraiser of the year is imperative to allow some of the members to be able to attend multiple events they ordinarily would not be able to.
“For us kiddos, this is a big deal,” said Molly Pruett, Lincoln County 4-H president and junior from Prague. This annual fundraiser is 4-H’s largest fundraiser every year. All 55 auction items were donated by businesses and individuals around the county and were acquired by 100 local 4-H members.
Pruett went on to add, “We’re looking for a good turnout and a good amount raised.”
And it was a good turnout. Over 100 supporters showed up for dinner and auction. The evening started with pulled pork, baked beans, potato salad, coleslaw and a huge dessert table. As the meal was being finished, auctioneer Zach Hunter kept the auction moving to get through the items at an enjoyable, yet accelerated pace that everyone at the tables seemed to appreciate. Items up for bid included chainsaws, handmade quilts, oil changes from local shops, livestock products, baked goods and more.
The event raised more than $6,000 for the Lincoln County 4-H organization and was sponsored by Steffenson Insurance Agency, Lincoln Liquified, Banc First of Prague, Bank First of Chandler, Cactus Tanks and Orr Construction. The 4-H members showed appreciation and gratitude with handshakes and hugs for everyone who helped make this event a successful evening.