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November 06, 2008
4-H Clubs Raising Funds for ALS Research
By Gary Wosk, Staff Writer
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Gary Leo, president and CEO of The ALS Association, delivered an inspirational speech to hundreds of people who attended the Southern Region 4-H Volunteer Forum. | Since early last summer, a group of service-oriented young adults who serve in their local 4-H Clubs and state 4-H activities throughout the nation’s southeastern region, as well as the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, have been raising funds to fight Lou Gehrig’s Disease for their local ALS Association chapter. As part of the Developing Dollars for a Cure campaign, which concludes December 31, youth and adult volunteers in the region are coordinating car washes, auctions and bake and arts and crafts sales, anything they can think of, to help The Association discover better treatments and a cure for people living with the disease.
The campaign represents the first time 4-H has chosen a service learning project for the Southern Region 4-H Volunteer Forum, a regional convention which was held in October in Eatonton, Ga.
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Bonnie Robbins, director of community services for The Association, Leo and
4-H Forum photographer Ralph Meacham. | At the forum, 4-H delegation representatives presented checks to ALS Association chapters. Attendees also participated in the ALS Walk for a Cure fundraising event to acknowledge that someone is diagnosed with ALS every 90 minutes. Developing Dollars for a Cure honors Southern Region 4-H volunteer forum photographer Ralph Meacham, who is battling ALS. Meacham, a resident of Franklin, Tenn., has worked with 4-H since the days that he was a member himself. He also has received and is receiving services from The Association’s Tennessee Chapter.
“I am very humbled by what the 4-H volunteers across the Southeast are doing for me and ALS,” Meacham said. “Once again, it proves that 4-H people think globally and act locally as they help raise funds to fight Lou Gehrig's Disease.”
The campaign is spearheaded by the Louisiana Chapter of The Association.
“We viewed this as an extraordinary opportunity to reach out to a population of individuals that otherwise might not know about ALS in their daily activities,” said Kelly Viator, the executive director of the Louisiana Chapter. “Ralph has played an important role in the lives of 4-H members and like all good-hearted individuals, they wanted to give back.
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Meacham leads the ALS Walk for a Cure. | They wanted to do something special for him and what better way than to raise awareness and dollars for research in effort to help find a treatment and cure for Lou Gehrig’s Disease, all in his name. We have simply been the catalyst for their good works.” Gary A. Leo, president and CEO of The Association, addressed 650 people at the Forum.
“The children and teenagers who are participating in this program represent the best of the best of their generation,” Leo said. ”Our country will be in good hands if one day they grow up to be among this nation’s leaders. Their parents should be very proud of them as we are at The ALS Association.”
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| Leo and Meacham with (L-R) 4-H volunteer Belinda Krumtum and 4-H regional coordinator Karen Martin. | The Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Jim “Catfish” Hunter, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas chapters are participating in “Developing for Dollars for a Cure.” 4-H, a community of more than 6.5 million young people across America, teaches children between the ages of 8 and 18 the many aspects of leadership, citizenship and life skills. The organization strives to develop the head, hearts, hands, and health of their members, and the club’s mission is to empower youth to reach their full potential through working and learning with caring adults.
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