The legacy of two 4-H All Stars and West Virginia 4-H Hall of Famers from Calhoun County will live on through the Sue and Randall Jones Memorial Endowment Fund established through West Virginia University Extension Service . With the new endowment, county 4-H’ers will have the opportunity to participate in out-of-county experiences—something that the youths otherwise may not have the chance to do.
Sue Jones served as the WVU Extension Service 4-H agent in Calhoun County, and her husband, Randall Jones, helped her lead the program. For more than 30 years, she and her husband dedicated much of their time to the 4-H program in the county.
“My mom loved every 4-H’er as her own and worked so hard to provide learning and enrichment opportunities for every child in the county,” Shannon Johnson, daughter of Sue and Randall Jones, said. “And, my dad was always right there by her side.”
Johnson wanted to find a way to honor her parents’ memory that would give back to the one thing they were both passionate about—Calhoun County 4-H. Through this endowment, her parents’ passion and commitment to young people in Calhoun County will live on by providing youths with opportunities to participate in state activities, like state 4-H camps, as well as broader experiences such as National 4-H Congress, National 4-H Conference, Citizenship Washington Focus and 4-H exchange programs. Recipients will be determined by the Calhoun County Leaders Association and the WVU Extension Service.
“We’re thrilled that Calhoun County youths will have the opportunity to have new experiences and broaden their horizons with this fund,” Lauren Seiler, director of development, WVU Extension Service, said. “These young leaders will then come back to Calhoun County empowered to create positive change in their community.”
“I sincerely thank each and every person that donated—and, particularly, Kelley Houchin for making this endowment dream a reality,” Johnson said.
The Sue and Randall Jones Memorial Fund was established through the WVU Foundation, the non-profit organization that solicits and administers private support on behalf of the University. To learn more about supporting this fund or other WVU Extension Service programs, contact Lauren Seiler at 304-293-5692.
To learn more about new opportunities in the 4-H program, visit extension.wvu.edu or contact your local office of the WVU Extension Service. Keep up with the latest in WVU Extension Service news on Facebook and Twitter by following @WVUExtension.
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am/09/07/20
CONTACT: Tara Curtis
Director, Communications and Marketing
WVU Extension Service
304-293-7996
tara.curtis@mail.wvu.edu