Dexter, Missouri - The Kiwanis Club of Dexter held their annual Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 15th at 1 p.m. in West City Park. Ages pre-school - 3rd grade participated. Local Boy Scout Troop 4200 hid more than 2,250 eggs along with nine special prize eggs.
The Easter Bunny made a special appearance before his long night of hiding eggs and treating children to Easter baskets on Sunday morning.
In the 2nd - 3rd grade age division all three children found the prize eggs and returned them to the Kiwanis.First place was a tie with Miracle Campbell and Michael Currie, both age 8, 2nd place, Lana St. Pierre, age 9 and Camden Stoner, age 9, received 3rd place.
Pictured from left to right are: Michael Currie, Miracle Campbell, Lana St. Pierre, and Camden Stoner.
Dexter, Missouri - The Kiwanis Club of Dexter held their annual Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 15th at 1 p.m. in West City Park. Ages pre-school - 3rd grade participated. Local Boy Scout Troop 4200 hid more than 2,250 eggs along with nine special prize eggs.
The Easter Bunny made a special appearance before his long night of hiding eggs and treating children to Easter baskets on Sunday morning.
In the kindergarten - 1st grade age division all three children found the prize eggs and returned them to the Kiwanis.First Place, Ethan Davis, age 7, 2nd Place, Jack Lee, age 5 and Paelynn Fraley, age 5 received 3rd place.
Shown in the photo from left to right are Ethan Davis, Jack Lee, and Paelynn Fraley.
Dexter, Missouri - The Kiwanis Club of Dexter held their annual Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 15th at 1 p.m. in West City Park. Ages pre-school - 3rd grade participated. Local Boy Scout Troop 4200 hid more than 2,250 eggs along with nine special prize eggs.
The Easter Bunny made a special appearance before his long night of hiding eggs and treating children to Easter baskets on Sunday morning.
In the pre-school age division only two children found the prize eggs and returned them to the Kiwanis.
The winners of the pre-school group were 2nd Place, Parker Suttle, age 9 months and 3rd Place, Shaelyn Busse, age 3 years. The First Place prize egg can still be turned in to any Kiwanis member.
Shown in the photo from left to right are Parker Suttle and Shaelyn Busse.
Stoddard County, Missouri - Each year, thousands of volunteers in Missouri donate their time and energy to make their communities a better place to live. These volunteers will be among the millions across the country who will be spotlighted during the 43rd anniversary of National Volunteer Week, April 23-29, 2017.
Research conducted by the Corporation for National and Community Service found that in 26.5% of adult Americans (64.5 million) volunteered 7.9 billion hours of service worth $175 billion in 2014. In Missouri, approximately 1.45 million volunteers of all types contributed 151.6 million hours of service. The 32.3 volunteer hours per resident ranks Missouri 15th among the 50 states and Washington, D.C.
One group that relies heavily on volunteers is the University of Missouri Extension 4-H Program. In 2017 over 7,000 youth and adults volunteered in some capacity with Missouri 4-H. In Stoddard County, 32 volunteers, both youth and adult, will serve as club leaders, project leaders, committee members, and in advisory capacities for the 4-H Youth Development Program.
“In Stoddard County the number of volunteers has grown over the last few years and more 4-H clubs have started as a result. With more volunteers, 4-H is able to reach more youth in the county. This helps youth to be more active outside of school and they are able to learn life skills that will last them a lifetime, says Stephanie Milner, 4-H Youth Specialist.”
Volunteers spend numerous hours working on tasks, such as helping organize an event at the county fair, helping a child with a 4-H project, or leading a project to serve the community.
“As a parent that grew up in 4-H I wanted my children to also experience 4-H. Being in 4-H teaches leadership, citizenship, and you have a chance to go to various activities. 4-H is not just about agriculture; but you can learn about drones, robotics, STEM, and cooking; ‘Rodeo Clown’ is even a project now!” Robinn Daves-Huey, Star Banner 4-H Club Leader
4-H Program volunteers are just one group of volunteers who are instrumental in carrying out the mission of the University of Missouri Extension. Volunteers are involved in every aspect of the Extension Service, including determining the needs of the local residents, planning and implementing programs to address these needs, securing resources, and evaluating programs.
An example of these volunteers is the Stoddard County Extension Council. The 12-member board, which consists of appointed county citizens, works with the county Extension staff to plan and oversee Extension activities.
“Having been given the opportunity to work with the 4-h faculty, staff, and volunteers for many years now, I have acquired a deep appreciation for the quality of the 4-H program and the opportunities presented to youth in our community. The local youth who have gone through this program have grown into responsible, caring citizens who go on to become volunteers and leaders in the community and continue their appreciation of lessons and skills learned by paying it forward to the next generation with the gifting of their time, talents, and abilities.” Lesa Morrison, County Office Support Staff
The work of Extension volunteers is continuous. Every day volunteers lend a helping hand to make Extension programs more beneficial to the residents of Stoddard County. Those interested in joining the team of Extension Volunteers are invited to contact the Stoddard County Extension Office at 573-568-3344, stoddardco@missouri.edu, or email elderra@missouri.edu .
Submitted by: Rachel Elder, 4-H Youth Program Assistant
Bloomfield, Missouri - The 6th Annual Larry and Kathy Jones Family H.O.P.E. Campaign has kicked off their 2017 fundraising event with proceeds directly benefiting area cancer patients.
The HOPE Campaign was initially established by the Jones family from Bloomfield in memory of Larry Jones in 2011 following his death. Last year, Larry's wife, Kathy, died of cancer. The family decided following their mother's death to rename the charity to include the name of Kathy Jones.
"It’s hard to believe we’re nearing the 6 month mark of when we lost our beloved mother," commented Lora Galati, " Mom loved the H.O.P.E. Campaign, and looked forward to the annual fundraiser each spring. Well, here we are, and it’s that time again! In past years, we’ve held fish fries, raffles, sold pork loins and more. This year, our primary fundraiser will be t-shirt sales."
"When we lost Mom this past August we renamed the charity: Larry & Kathy Jones Family H.O.P.E. Campaign. This year, our new t-shirts reflect our new name. The design idea came easily this year. We used a photo that we took from our parents’ farm the afternoon that our mother passed away. The sky was absolutely beautiful and so peaceful that day. There were three distinct sunrays, which are significant for us; we continue this Campaign of Healing, Optimism, Prayer and Example to honor the memories of Dad, Mom and our sister, Sara. We hope you like the new t-shirts, and we hope you’ll consider supporting the H.O.P.E. Campaign this year as we continue to raise prayers, funds and hope for area cancer warriors and individuals faced with life-threatening illnesses," commented Galati.
The shirts sell for $15 each and are available in sizes small - 6XL. Sizes from 2XL - 6XL are $18 each. Children sizes are also available.
Further information may be obtained through emailing larrybjoneshopecampaign@yahoo.com or call (314) 402-7777. Find them on Facebook by clicking HERE.
"This is our small way of giving back! We celebrate H.O.P.E. ~ Healing, Optimism, Prayer and Example," continued Galati.
Since March of 2011, this charity has raised over $83,000 for area cancer warriors and individuals faced with life-threatening illness.
The H.O.P.E. Campaign is a division of 18 FORE Life, a 501(c)(3) charity, with a shared mission of benefiting area cancer warriors and individuals faced with life-threatening illness.
To date, 18 FORE Life has sent out over $1,900,000.00 in love offerings to families all over Southeast Missouri. The generous donations and support to the charity have truly made a difference. But, there’s “more work to do!”
Photo by Julie Dodd Photography.
