EKY teens using event to raise money for program

HARLAN, Ky. (WYMT) - More than 1,000 people gathered to celebrate ‘Kids’ Fun Day’ hosted by the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service in Harlan County.

Harlan County 4-H Agent Raymond Cox said the event marks the start for the Poke Sallet Festival, which begins Thursday.

”It is just a fun day to kick off Poke Sallet and it is a beautiful day today, and we have a lot of people here. Like I said, we give away 1,200 t-shirts each year and that kind of brings a pretty good crowd out,” he said.

Cox said the event has not always been this popular.

“4-H has always kicked it off, but it has not always been this type of event, it was at the courthouse, we did a few games and that was it. Along about 2003 or 2004, the county judge-executive said he wanted us to kick something off big to kick it off so, we started giving t-shirts. And it started out kind of low, I think the first year we gave away 700 or 800 t-shirts,” he explained.

He said it helps the program look good by also providing for students in the 4-H program.

“They help provide scholarships, some of them do, for our 4-H camp which we will be going to in August,” he explained.

He said all of the proceeds from the event on Wednesday will go toward the Harlan County Teen Club which will go towards their conference later this summer.

“We take kids to the teen conference, which is at the University of Kentucky, we take them down there for three or four days. The teenagers, we will take there and they get to stay in the dorms. This helps promote our program all the way around. People know what 4-H is when they come to Harlan County,” he explained.

Harlan County Teen Club member Matthew Nunez said the conference is a lot of fun.

Matthew Nunez is a part of the 4-H Teen Club and he says the teen conference is a lot of fun.

“The money that we generate from this fun day, goes towards our teen conference camp which is in two weeks. It is basically a camp for teens that we do like, they give us majors and minors that we do such as health, outdoors, nature and stuff like that,” he said.

Nunez said that being a part of the club has made him feel like a leader.

“It makes you feel like a leader, helping these little kids out in the community because giving out these t-shirts and concessions and helping other people, reminds me of how it was when I was a little kid getting these t-shirts. So, it is nice to help out with the community,” he explained.

Cox and Nunez said that all of their hard work will pay off once they attend the teen conference.

Copyright 2023 WYMT. All rights reserved.