Ebert Family Donates to 4th Annual 4-H Gala

The benefit auction at the Fourth Annual Gala included a barn quilt painted by Kathy Ebert, chair of the Washington County Extension Council.  The money raised from her two foot by two foot Ohio Star barn quilt will go to support 4-H programs and clubs in Iowa.

With food, entertainment and more than 125 auction packages, the Iowa 4-H Foundation's Fourth Annual Gala, presented by John Deere, raised $92,000 to support the Iowa 4-H program statewide and at the club level. Even some 4-H youth played a role in reaching this amount, which was nearly $19,000 more than the 2012 gala total.

“This year our auction included items donated by 15 Iowa 4-H members, which raised $2,145. Fifty percent of the proceeds from those items will be given to the members’ choice of their 4-H clubs or county endowment,” said Kris Fish Kuhlmann, executive director for the Iowa 4-H Foundation. The 4-H Foundation also collaborated with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach in Polk County to raise funds for the Polk County 4-H Endowment Fund.

The gala revenue total included $16,400 raised to send Iowa delegates to the National 4-H Conference. Major supporters included The Des Moines Register, David and Valerie Pace of Roseville, Minn., and Harry and Phyllis Davis of Williamsport, Md.

A sweet slice of the gala revenue, $11,050, came from the auction of 14 desserts. “When the first five desserts sold for $1,000 each, I knew our guests were not just hungry,” Kuhlmann said. “They were really out to support Iowa 4-H!” Other specialty items included a first-ever Tool Belt auction in conjunction with the highly anticipated Purse Auction, with 4-H “celebrities” serving as guest models, Kuhlman added.

Some 310 4-H supporters, a record crowd, attended the March 2 event at the Des Moines Marriott Downtown, Kuhlmann said. Guests included Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey and Hancock County 4-H’er Ashley Smeby, who shared her 4-H experiences and treated guests by singing “It’s Your Life,” by Francesca Batistelli.

“The generous bidding from attendees and online bidders was tremendous,” said Deb Pullin-Van Auken, board president of the Iowa 4-H Foundation. She noted that, before the event began, there were 126 online bids totaling $8,200. “We thank everyone, especially 4-H Gala sponsors Kinze Manufacturing Inc., Bruce Rastetter of Summit Farms, and Sigourney Tire and Implement; and hospitality sponsors Firestone Ag Tires, Farm Bureau, Nationwide and Polk County Extension and Outreach, for their support,” Pullin-Van Auken said.

Table host sponsors included Bankers Trust; Farmer’s Cooperative; Heartland Marketing Group; Kris Fish Kuhlmann; Monsanto; Frank and Dorothy Clark; Nationwide Insurance; DuPont Pioneer; Successful Farming; Timmins, Kroll and Jacobsen LLP; and Pete and Dana Wenstrand.  Copyworks of Ames was an in-kind sponsor, providing design and printing services.

Proceeds from the gala benefit the Iowa 4-H Foundation and its mission to support 4-H youth and 4-H youth programs offered by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.