A big thank you to all of you who supported the Larimer County 4-H Foundation and our club at the Carnival last Saturday. Thank you to members and parents who helped with taking the booths and prizes to the FNBO, sorted prizes, worked the booths, and helped to return items to Berthoud. It was a complete success!
The final numbers are not in yet, but here is some preliminary information.
The Lollipop Pull brought in 1,651 coupons this is up 506 from 2022.
The Rubberband Shoot brought in 2,340 coupons this is down 638 from 2022.
The Toilet Paper Toss brought in 2,620 coupons this is up 1,048 from 2022.
The Iron Man brought in 3,884 coupons this is up 687 from 2022.
We also received 793 donated coupons.
The club should get approximately $1,400 for the coupons.
The Nerf wagon sold for $285.
The USA wagon sold for $250.
The Sports wagon sold for $210.
The Hunting, Fishing, Camping wagon sold for $400.
Thank you to everyone who donated items for the wagons. The club should get $572.50 for our “baskets.”
The Fire Box that Dawson made for the auction sold for $205.
The American Flag that Nate made for the auction sold for $120.
Thank you all for attending the High Country Handiworkers 4-H Club meeting held on Monday, February 13.
My apologies for the meeting location. Being in the McKee Building’s Exhibit Hall is not easy, since it is challenging to hear. Thank you, Sharel, for bringing a microphone—it did help. We were asked by The Ranch staff to change our meeting location from the usual location in the classrooms to the Exhibit Hall.
Project Manuals
Those who attended should have received their project manuals. There are a few project manuals on backorder. Shooting Sports does NOT have project manuals. If you were not in attendance, please let me know when you would like to get your manuals.
Upcoming Events
The 4-H year is now well underway. Be sure to read the Clover Connection for upcoming workshops. Check the club website for an up-to-date calendar of events.
Finishing Enrollment
There are a few members who started enrollment but have not completed, mostly due to enrollment fees not being paid. If you are struggling with getting enrollment complete, please see the club website for further instructions. If you are struggling financially, please email me and we will get a financial waiver filled out.
Adding/Dropping Projects
A sheet was circulated at the club meeting showing each member’s name and the projects they enrolled in. Members were asked to cross out any projects they are no longer interested in and to write in any projects to add. I must have this information by February 25 to compile the list and submit it to the Extension Office. If you were not present, be sure to send me any projects to be added or dropped before February 25.
4-H Carnival
Tickets
Carnival tickets were distributed at the meeting. All members who were enrolled as of January 31 are expected to sell their 25 tickets for $1.00 each. Tickets and funds should be turned in prior to the carnival if at all possible. If you need to pick up tickets or turn in funds, I am out at The Ranch on several occasions including Archery practice on Tuesday evenings. Or you can come to my shop in Berthoud from Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. If you are not able to turn funds in prior to the carnival then they must be turned in at the Carnival on March 4. Please place the tickets in numerical order in a Ziploc baggy or an envelope labeled with the member’s name.
Volunteer at the Carnival
Our club is hosting four booths. We need every club member to sign up on the SignupGenius on the club website to volunteer at the booths. We are really lacking support in the afternoon from 12:45–4:00 p.m. as of right now. We need parents available throughout the day to count the tickets that are collected and help replenish the prize table. Suzanne Leypoldt will be heading up the project, but she needs to leave early. I need another parent who can be there most of the day to help her and to close down the booth, including packing up any leftover prizes and helping get everything returned to Construction Supply House. The carnival is our club fundraiser so we need everyone’s support.
Ready Prizes
We need to ready the prizes for our carnival booths. If you are available, please plan to come help on Sunday, February 26 from 1:00–2:30 at my shop, Construction Supply House, in Berthoud. We will sort through the prizes and designate them as Prize 1, 2, or 3, and pack them up for transport. Please email me to RSVP if you can come to help: csh@frii.com.
Club T-Shirt Ideas
At the meeting in March, we will select a new design for our club t-shirts. Club members are encouraged to come up with their own designs and bring them to the club meeting in March. Please create it on an 8 ½” x 11″ paper or larger. The club will select a design as well as the color for the shirts. Every club member (including Cloverbuds and leaders) will receive a club t-shirt paid for by the club. This is where our fundraising goes, and we select a new design for the club shirts every two years.
Parade Theme Ideas
The Larimer County Fair Board is requesting parade theme ideas from 4-H clubs. Each club is allowed one submittal. Please submit your suggestions to me by March 10. The club with the winning idea will have its parade entry fee paid by the Fair Board.
March Meeting
The next meeting will be on March 13 at 7:00 p.m. See you then!
(Remember to read the meeting minutes. This is just a brief recap, but the minutes will include all the details.)
Since many of our members are new to 4-H, we wanted to explain a bit more about the upcoming 4-H Carnival.
This is Larimer County’s 64th year holding the carnival, which raises funds for the 4-H Foundation. The fundraising goal for this year’s carnival is $50,000.
The carnival is organized by the 4-H Foundation, with the assistance of the county’s 4-H clubs. The 4-H Foundation uses the funds generated to support youth with scholarships, awards, registration fees and travel expenses for conferences and competitions, equipment for projects like shooting sports, leader training, and so much more.
4-H members sell tickets for $1 beginning in January and leading up to the carnival in March. These tickets give the purchaser an entry into the cash prize drawing as well as door prize drawings held throughout the day. The center portion of each ticket can be exchanged for two coupons to play the booths at the carnival. Game booth coupons are also sold on the day of the carnival for 25¢ each.
The Foundation asks that all 4-H members sell at least 25 tickets. By helping to support this fundraising effort, 4-H members are eligible for scholarships and assistance with expenses. And 4-H members are encouraged to sell MORE than their 25 tickets. The members who sell the most and the club with the highest average receive cash prizes for their efforts.
The 4-H clubs volunteer to create and work at carnival game booths, and carnival-goers pay coupons to play. Every player receives a prize for participating. 50% of the funds from the booths goes to the organizing club.
Members and their parents sign up to work the club’s booths, and this as well as selling tickets counts toward community service to be noted in their e-Record books for the fair.
A highlight of the day is two Live Auctions, held at 12:00 noon and 2:00 p.m. Local businesses, generous families, and the 4-H clubs put together items and baskets to be auctioned to raise funds. Half of the money generated by each club basket comes back to the donating club.
And no carnival would be complete without food! This year there will be a bake sale and some clubs will be selling carnival food at their booths. (The on-site concessions will not be available this year, so bring a lunch or snacks if you wish.)
Admission to the carnival and parking are free at the event.
The Larimer County 4-H Exchange Club is also sponsoring a dance to be held after the carnival at 4:00 p.m. in the McKee Building.
Be sure to invite your friends, family, and neighbors to come and have a wonderful, fun time and support 4-H!
This year, the Larimer County 4-H Carnival will be held on Saturday, March 4, 2023 from 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. at the First National Bank of Omaha Building (FNBO) at the Ranch (5280 Arena Circle, Loveland, Colorado 80538).
Cindy has carnival tickets available for all of the 4-H members to sell. Each member is encouraged to sell their 25, but we have more if you’re feeling ambitious! If you run out, contact Cindy for more. Cloverbuds are not required to sell tickets, but can if they wish.
Our club voted to donate four baskets for the Live Auction with the themes of USA, Sports, Nerf, and Hunting/Fishing/Camping. Please bring items to be included in these baskets to the club meeting in February.
Our club will also have four carnival booths: Iron Man, Toilet Paper Toss, Rubberband Guns, and Lollipop Pull. We ask that members and parents sign up to work a shift. The SignUpGenius is available on the Signups page. (Cindy is a Foundation board member and has many responsibilities on carnival day. We ask that parents lend their time and organization at the booths during the day.)
Bring something for the club baskets to sell at the 4-H Carnival auction. The themes are:
Hunting/Fishing/Camping,
USA (anything red, white, blue),
Sports (of all kinds), and
Nerf (any type not just guns).
Go to the Exhibit Hall instead of the usual meeting rooms for this month’s meeting.
Get your name tag and an agenda when you enter the room.
Sign up for a demonstration if you are ready to do so.
4-H Carnival Tickets
We will distribute 4-H Carnival Tickets at the club meeting if you have not already received them. If you have not picked up tickets and won’t be at the meeting on Monday, please let me know so we can make arrangements for you to receive them. Every club member is strongly encouraged to sell 25 tickets each.
LAST CALL for Fair Projects
If you are going to be in attendance, this is your last chance to pick up fair projects at the club meeting. YOU MUST let me know by 12:00 noon on Monday, February 13 if you want projects brought to the meeting.
What is not picked up at the club meeting or from my office in Berthoud by Monday, February 20 will no longer be available. I can’t hold on to fair projects 6 months after fair—I don’t have the space.
At the 4-H Carnival in March, the 4-H Foundation holds a live auction. The county clubs create baskets for the auction. Half of the proceeds go to the Foundation while the other half goes back to the club.
At the November meeting, our club voted to create four baskets with the following themes:
Outdoors (Camping/Fishing/Hunting)
Sports
USA
Nerf
We ask that families donate an item or two to fit the themes. Please bring these items to upcoming meetings in January and February. We will create the basket packages for auction at the 4-H Carnival on March 4.
Our club is offering our club members the opportunity to sell their carnival tickets at King Soopers (Thompson Valley Towne Center in Loveland) from 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 11 and Sunday, February 12. We’d like to have 6 volunteers for each time slot of 1 ½ hours.
This is a great opportunity to sell your carnival tickets. Members usually sell their 25 tickets, plus many more!
The High Country Handiworkers rocked the 4-H Carnival! Thank you to all of our member families for all of your hard work to help support 4-H in Larimer County! Our club sold a total of 4,981 tickets. That’s an average of $57.25 per member. And we had multiple members in the top ticket sellers!
The Larimer County 4-H Foundation would like to thank all the 4-H Leaders, Members, Families, and all the Attendees for their support of the 63rd Annual 4-H Carnival. The Foundation appreciates all the support received. Clubs should be receiving their funds by early May.
The auction proceeds exceeded over $18,000!
TOP Ticket Sellers
Liam Babcock of High Country Handiworkers SOLD 875 – $100 cash prize.
Dawson Leypoldt of High Country Handiworkers SOLD 500 – $80 cash prize.
Gilbert Fisher of Harmony Hustlers SOLD 425 – $60 cash prize.
Walker and Willow Cameron of High Country Handiworkers each SOLD 318 – $50 each cash prize.
Whitley Schweitzer of Wagon Wheel SOLD 275 – $40 cash prize.
TOP Clubs with the Highest Ticket Averages
1st: High Country Handiworkers SOLD 4,981 tickets. With 87 members their average was $57.25 per member.
2nd: Harmony Hustlers with $52.53 average per member.
Thank you to all of our High Country Handiworkers club members and families who sold tickets, donated items for our club baskets, worked the booths, bid on the auction, and came to have fun at the 4-H Carnival yesterday!
A special thank you goes to Suzanne Leypoldt for being in charge of the booths all day! We appreciate you!
