Webster County Youth Challenge Financial Match to Benefit Fair

     The Webster County 4-H received a sizable gift from former Webster County resident and 4-H alumni Marilyn Davis. These dollars were put into the existing Webster County Youth Foundation, which is now a 501(c)(3) organization.  It has benefitted the youth through allowing for additional premiums for breeding livestock, carcass contests, static exhibit premiums and many other projects. There is a new thrust underway.
     One of the complaints about the Webster County Fair is that there is no place really to get away from the heat and the buildings are hot where the open class, 4-H and FFA static exhibits and vendor booths are located.  The Webster County Agriculture Association (Fair Board) has been looking at renovating and expanding the existing 4-H and FFA Static Exhibit Hall at the Webster County Fairgrounds and started looking at financing and ways to accomplish their goal. In order to keep the Webster County Fair viable, competitive and relevant; to see to the needs of the collective communities; and enhance the gathering that makes rural American and our fair so unique this effort is of high priority.
     They propose to add room to the north and to the southwest sides of the existing building, put new exterior siding and roof, and install new interior walls and insulation.  The plan also calls for adding several restrooms and a kitchen, and importantly new lighting, heating and air-conditioning.  It will provide a nice, cool environment for exhibits and vendors and even a place to sit down and eat the popular 4-H food items in comfort. It will also provide during the rest of the year a place for dances, family gatherings, etc. This in essence will become a Webster County Community Center that will be located at the County Fairgrounds.  
     It will, of course, take some effort and dollars to accomplish the goal.  The Webster County Youth Foundation has challenged the community to match $100,000 that they have already put up to help complete this building.  The plans are drawn up and efforts are now underway, to not only match that figure but to exceed the challenge, and to have the funding in place and the work completed by the time of the 2013 Webster County Fair! The youth of the county and surrounding area are challenging everyone to join other proud and progressive Webster County residents, 4-H and FFA alumni, and Webster County Fair supporters in helping renovate and expand the existing 4-H & FFA static exhibit hall at the Webster County Fairgrounds. They have even come up with several easy ways to do that and in a way that is tax deductible.
     The Webster County Youth Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization and are now actively seeking donations in the form of cash, or a tax free gift of livestock and/or grain commodities (corn, wheat, milo, soybeans, etc.) to help defray the cost of construction and renovation of the existing building into a new Webster County Community Building at the Webster County Fairgrounds!    
     Interested individuals should contact any of the Webster County Fair Board Members. Rob Wilson and Terry Plambeck are taking the lead from the board, and Mike Danehey is heading the foundation efforts. You can also call the Webster County UNL Extension Office at 746-3417 or go to the website at www.webster.unl.edu  or email Dewey Lienemann directly at dlienemann2@unl.edu for legal gifting forms if you would like to participate in gifting the Foundation bushels of corn, wheat, milo, soybeans or other grain or hay commodities.  There are also giving forms for livestock that can also be sold in the name of the Webster County Youth Foundation that is tax free and deductible for the provider. 
     Several area beef producers have already taken on the challenge and gifting cattle, and are urging their fellow producers to do the same.  They are working with Roy Montgomery and Keith Kort at the Blue Hill Livestock sale barn to provide a time during the regular cattle sale to aid this endeavor.  They are asking fellow cattlemen to consider consigning one or more beef animals in the name of the “Webster County Youth Foundation” that would then be sold during the regular cattle auction at the Blue Hill Livestock Sale Barn at 1:30 pm on Saturday, January 19 with the proceeds going to this project!