Many families and people put lots of time and effort into the fair just by participating in 4-H. One family that has a big hand in the fair through 4-H is the Bailey family.

Maggie Bailey,17, has been in 4-H since she was about 7 years old and she started out with rabbits. She showed and kept the rabbits and since then she has developed many more hobbies in 4-H. Now she is involved in foods, leather, gardening, photography, and citizenship.

Jimmy Bailey,11, started mini 4-H when he was 3 years old, and started 4-H when he was 7, working with leather, crafts and breeding beef. Now Jimmy participates in sections on leather, rocketry, crafts, electricity, woodworking, gardening, sketching and drawing, breeding beef, marketing hogs, rabbits, photography and citizenship.

The Baileys started 4-H through their father, Pat Bailey, who was in 4-H when he was a kid.

“4-H is a family thing, we have projects and our parents help us pick them out and put them together,” Maggie said.

4-Hers don’t just busy themselves with projects, but they also have camps and special trips that they can attend. Maggie returned June 26 from a trip sponsored by 4-H called Citizenship Washington.

Maggie had answered an essay on what she thought made good leaders in a community and the best were judged by K-State in Manhattan.

The group met in Manhattan on June 14th and traveled by coach to Washington, D.C. A total of 46 people were from Kansas went, and Maggie was the only one from Leavenworth County.

Jimmy and Maggie both enjoy 4-H, and Jimmy plans on staying in until he graduates.

Maggie has about two more years to be involved in 4-H.

Some of the accomplishments from 4-H that they have received are that it gives them something to do, they meet new people, and it’s something that brings their family together.

“I’m less shy now, 4-H has given me better speaking skills so that I can speak in front of crowds and people,” Maggie replied.

Some of the outcomes of 4-H that a family gets, the community receives as well.

One way these 4-H’ers have helped out their community is that they stepped out when Tonganoxie was hit by a tornado on May 11.

The youngsters helped clean debris that the storm left in yards and worked to repair the city.

“4-H is a good way to socialize with people,” Jimmy said.

“It’s about a bunch of people getting together to help your community and to make the best better,” his sister added.