Scholarship program gives 4-H youth opportunities

Next year, Butler County’s 4-H youth will get a chance to go to Washington, D.C., or earn a college scholarship because of the upcoming annual Butler County Township Association golf outing.

More than 130 scholarships and 140 trips to Washington, D.C., as part of the Citizenship Washington Focus leadership program for 4-H youth have been awarded over the past 29 years.

Heidi Edens, 16, an Edgewood student, was one of a handful of Butler County students who earned the paid-for trip to Washington. She and other Butler County 4-H youth were in the nation’s capital during the week of July 4th.

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She and others learned how Congress is designed to work and talked with congressional aides about a future agricultural bill expected to be introduced to Congress.

“I’ve been blessed with so many things 4-H (and Future Farmers of America) has done for me,” Edens said. “They’ve both given me so many unique experiences that if I didn’t do them I wouldn’t be close to doing those types of things.”

Katie Summe, an 18-year-old Ross Twp. graduate, is set to attend Wilmington College and study animal science. She not only appreciates the opportunity for some college money but also that the township association puts a high emphasis on 4-H and farming life in the county.

“The 4-H program gives an opportunity for kids who have the opportunity to show livestock and show all the hard work they have done, and it also gives a chance for the public — who may never get the chance in their life to be up close to animals — come and see what they are,” she said.

Christine Matacic, a Liberty Twp. trustee and co-chair of this August’s 30th annual golf outing, said the township association invests thousands of dollars annually in these students because it’s investing in the next generation.

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“They cherish it,” Matacic said. “It’s just so heart-warming to see the appreciation these young people have, and they’re our future leaders.”

While $1,000 may only pay for a fraction of a tuition bill, she said it brings them closer to be able to afford college.

“When you get down to it, we have a lot of farming families that have children that would love to realize their dreams of going to college,” Matacic said. “And they’ve all said this to us, that this $1,000 makes it possible to go to college.”

The Washington trip is a special one, Matacic said, because it’s a vacation, of sorts, they would never be able to take.

“A lot of these kids are from farming families, and a lot of them don’t take vacations,” she said. “You can take short little jaunts here and there, but to really experience it like these young ladies and young gentlemen, they don’t get that.”

The annual golf outing is $360 per foursome, which includes golf, lunch and dinner, which Matacic said is a relatively low price tag.

“We don’t make the money on the golfers,” she said. “The golfing is just a way to bring the sponsors together in the community.”

The sponsorships range from $200 for tee sponsors to $2,000 golf sponsors. The deadline to sign up to play is Aug. 7 and sponsors can sign up until a week before the outing.

The Aug. 25 outing is at the Elks Golf Course in Liberty Twp. with dinner at Carriage Hill at the Terry Family Farm on Ohio 747. Dinner, which by itself is $20 per person, is provided by Texas Roadhouse.

To participate, contact Matacic at cmatacic@fuse.net or 513-652-2659, or visit bctainfo.wixsite.com/bcta.

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