4-H club wins Governor's Ag Excellence Award

Nebraska Lt. Governor Rick Sheehy Thursday morning presents members of the Furnas County "Tumbleweeds" 4-H Club with a banner declaring them a 2012 winner of Gov. Dave Heineman's "Agricultural Excellence Award." Club members are, from left, treasurer Dusty Runner, vice president Stephanie Welch, leader Andrea Sayer, president Dillon Sayer, Amelia Sayer, Cody Runner and secretary Kaylee Adams. Pre-4-H'er "Clover Kid" 6-year-old Jadyn Adams stands in the front row. (Connie Jo Discoe/McCook Daily Gazette)

CAMBRIDGE, Nebraska -- The Furnas County, Nebraska, "Tumbleweeds" 4-H Club earned one of 25 "Governor's Agriculture Excellence Awards" for 2012, and with its $500 award, members were able to assemble 120 backpacks for foster children and homeless people.

Lt. Gov. Rick Sheehy presented Tumbleweed members and leader Andrea Sayer with a banner Thursday morning, and visited with members about their backpack program and their 4-H projects.

Andrea Sayer told Lt. Gov. Sheehy that her club members wanted to help children in the foster care system, so they sought donations to help them stuff backpacks with items they thought children would find comforting and useful in times of transit.

Lt. Gov. Sheehy and Stephanie discussed her recent 4-H project, a mixed-breed dog named Sophie that she rescued as a puppy, with her little mates, from a road ditch. "Mutts are often the best dogs," Lt. Gov. Sheehy told Stephanie. (Connie Jo Discoe/McCook Daily Gazette)

During an awards presentation Thursday at Cambridge Public Schools, Lt. Gov. Sheehy congratulated the 4-H'ers on their award and their backpack project, telling them, "I'm hopeful this is a project that will continue to grow. It's admirable that you focused on kids your own age, and are making other children's lives a little better."

For the backpacks, Sayer said, Cathy Kubic of Cambridge crocheted about 60 afghans and local dental offices donated toothbrush kits. She said a Christian book store worked a deal to get the 4-H'ers 100 New Testament Bibles for $50, and they used other cash donations to purchase more backpacks and fleece blankets and yarn.

The kids' original goal was 60-65 backpacks, Andrea said, but by winning the Governor's Ag Excellence Award and its $500 grant award, they were able to double their efforts and completed 120 backpacks.

Club members gave the first 65 backpacks to the McCook office of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

The remaining backpacks will be delivered to the McCook office of Community Action Partnership of Mid-Nebraska and to "The Connection" homeless shelter in North Platte. While at the shelter, club members will also help serve supper.

Each backpack contained a stuffed animal, a blanket or afghan, a book to read, a pencil, a toy, a toothbrush kit and a New Testament Bible.

The 4-H year of 2011-12 was the Tumbleweeds' first year, and the backpack project was one of three community service projects they completed.

The others were "Quilts of Valor," which provided hand-made quilts to soldiers, and three "Care" packages/boxes sent to U.S. soldiers serving in Afghanistan.

The Tumbleweeds received one of 25 2012 "Ag Excellence Awards." The club is one of 123 4-H clubs in the state.

Club members are Dillon Sayer, president; Stephanie Welch, vice president; Dusty Runner, treasurer; Kaylee Adams, secretary; Amelia Sayer, Cody Runner and pre-4-H'er 6-year-old "Clover Kid" Jadyn Adams.

The students represent a home school and Cambridge and Southwest public schools.