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Volunteers Make A Difference
| Name | Margie Sippel | | Situation | Volunteers are always needed in 4-H and they make a positive difference in the lives of young people. In York County there is still a strong agricultural 4-H program with youth interested in showing their livestock. Five years ago the York County Fair was no longer able to offer a county livestock show as part of the fair and this fall was the last year that York County will have any type of fair due to the fairgrounds being sold. 4-H volunteers under the leadership of two outstanding volunteer leaders have worked together to solve this situation. | | Response | Mary Miskelly and Mark Keith have been South Carolina 4-H volunteers for 12 and 9 years respectively. They became involved with South Carolina 4-H as parent volunteers when their children were participants in the 4-H dairy heifer project. As a participant in the 4-H heifer project, youth are responsible for raising a heifer for 18 months and to have the heifer bred. Mary and Mark were actively involved at every step - including securing project heifers, assisting in the worming, vaccinating, loading and unloading of the animals, breeding, and serving as mentors for the participating youth.
Mary and Mark have become strong volunteers through their work on a number of projects including: the 4-H swine project, Clemson University Extension's county advisory committees, petting farms at area festivals, and agriculture safety days for youth in the summers. Mary and Mark's children have now aged out of 4-H and are young adults, but they have continued to volunteer with the heifer project and our county program. They see the benefits from 4-H in their own children's lives and would like these same opportunities available for all children.
A project that has set Mary and Mark apart is their dedication to the annual York County Fall Livestock Show. Mark and Mary both give at least 80 hours each year on this one project in addition to their other 4-H volunteer time. They can be found doing every possible task to hold this show. The work for a show is a year-round job. In 2002, the York County Fair Association which has been run by the American Legion for about a half-century decided that they must tear down the old livestock barn that they had built and used for 4-H livestock shows. This was a hard decision for the Legion, but they would not rebuild and there would no longer be a livestock show. The 4-H families stepped in that year and organized their own show. Mark chaired that committee with Mary Miskelly serving as the secretary/treasurer.
| | Impact | Mary and Mark have worked together as a team for the last five years to lead and motivate about 50 volunteers to secure all the resources needed to continue the fall show including finding a location each year to hold the show. The 4-H agent is the only Clemson professional able to donate part of her work time to the project. The event is open to youth in South Carolina 4-H and FFA to show goats, sheep, beef cattle, dairy cattle, and horses. In 2002, the show had a total of 73 youth participants and has grown to 138 youth in 2007 with 223 animals. $48,889.85 has been raised and disbursed over the five year run of the shows and $4,500 in scholarships has been awarded to seniors in showmanship. Many businesses and individuals have donated funds to help with this project, along with the hard work of the 4-H families.
Through livestock projects, 4-Hers learn about selection of livestock related to market demands and responsibility as they nurture their animals with the correct nutrition. The projects help youth to develop business acumen, instill an appreciation for agriculture, and provide a foundation for future career paths. Competition in the show ring teaches sportsmanship just like on a football field. Youth learn about ethics, confidence, self-esteem, and pride. The show or competition also adds fun to the project and makes the project a family event. The number of fairs with livestock shows has decreased over the years. With fewer fairs in South Carolina offering show opportunities, the York County Fall Livestock Show has become a very important show for 4-H and FFA youth in South Carolina.
The show provides a venue for the urban community to learn about livestock and agriculture. It is important for the general public to know the valuable role that agriculture plays in their lives. Many of our urban youth have not had the opportunity to visit a farm and to know how the hamburger they ate for lunch or the milk they drank at breakfast got to their tables. These two volunteers are helping to preserve our agriculture heritage.
It is a challenge each year to find the funds (donated and raised) needed to preserve this part of the York County Agriculture heritage for today's youth. Every possible fund raiser has been tried to secure the funding and it takes much physical work and labor to put on the show. An additional challenge for the future is to increase our funds so we can advertise to as many people in our community who are simply not aware of our show. Many individual, businesses, and volunteers work to make this event happen, but it is Mary and Mark that are the leaders behind this event. They are both outstanding 4-H volunteers and have won a state 4-H award for their service. Their work on the Fall Livestock Show is what sets them apart making them deserve recognition.
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Last update7/9/2008
This website is maintained by Cheryl Clary.
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