By JORDAN STRICKLER Kentucky Correspondent BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — Tractor Supply Co. (TSC) is rounding out its ninth year of partnership with 4-H to bring millions of dollars in scholarship funds to 4-H youth. Through Oct. 14, Tractor Supply customers can participate in the Paper Clover fundraiser by purchasing a paper clover – the signature emblem of 4-H – for a donation during checkout at stores nationwide or by making a purchase online at TractorSupply.com. A semiannual fundraiser, this spring’s campaign raised more than $956,000. “The response we have received to our Paper Clover fundraiser has been outstanding,” says Drew Casteel, Store Marketing Specialist at TSC. “Since our partnership officially originated in 2010, Paper Clover has generated more than $14 million. In 2017, Tractor Supply raised over $1.8 million nationwide over a span of 24 days, impacting over 37,000 4-H youth.” One youth who has benefited from the fundraising is Emily Burns, a seventh-grader in Beavercreek, Ohio. “This past summer, I attended the Leadership Washington Focus (LWF),” said Burns about her week-long leadership conference in Washington, D.C., geared to middle-school students around the nation. “I learned about leadership qualities and how to become a better leader. I also got to experience many tours around DC to learn about great leaders. I hope to use my experience at LWF to help others become better leaders and to help me become a better leader in my 4-H club and in Greene County.” Fundraising efforts from Tractor Supply’s Paper Clover event fund scholarships for numerous state level 4-H programs nationwide, with every donation benefiting youth within the state it was collected. Scholarships are used for camps and leaderships conferences, where attendees learn everything from animal care and woodworking to networking practices and civic responsibility. Burns, who is starting her fifth year in 4-H, says her participation in the program has been very beneficial. “4-H has helped me see that trying new things isn’t scary and that learning is fun. My favorite part about 4-H is making new friends from around the state and country. 4-H gives us an instant bond that helps us get past the silly part of meeting a new person; I know I can ask about what projects they are taking, if they go to camp, how they did at the fair.” “Tractor Supply and 4-H really share the same values,” said Casteel. “4-H empowers youth to develop unique skills and explore the many facets of the rural lifestyle that our stores so proudly serve. With our partnership, we created our Paper Clover for 4-H youth to attend those camps and other leadership experiences vital to their growth and social development.” 4-H clubs are encouraged to contact a Tractor Supply store to participate during the in-store fundraiser. Those who participate with their local store are eligible to win a $100 Tractor Supply gift card through the Paper Clover Participation Sweepstakes. For more information on Paper Clover or how to enter the sweepstakes, visit TractorSupply.com/4H |
