County 4-H members have been invited to sell subscriptions to The Mirror — and receive cash back for every subscription they sell. The Mirror will give 4-Her’s $10 for every new subscription they sell and $5 for every renewal they sell.

All proceeds will be applied toward helping defray the overall increasing cost of 4-H camps for Leavenworth County 4-H’ers, said Beth Hecht, county extension agent for 4-H youth development.

Hecht said that the money received from the newspaper will be deposited in a general camp fund that will benefit all 4-H’ers in Leavenworth County who attend camps.

She said partnering with The Mirror seemed like a natural fit.

“Everybody knows the Tonganoxie Mirror does the coverage and supports 4-H clubs,” Hecht said. “The Tonganoxie Mirror does an excellent job of recognizing the youth throughout the county. They’re a premier newspaper, when it comes to the kids knowing that their news articles and club articles will be recognized. That means a lot, and I hear parents say that a lot.
“That means to me that the Tonganoxie Mirror is a partner through and through.”
All members of 4-H are eligible to attend camp, regardless of their age. Youngsters who are 7 through 9 years old can attend the one-night Junior Campout in Leavenworth County. Older children, who are 9 through 13 years old, can participate in the four-day 4-H County Camp at Rock Springs Camp, which is south of Junction City.
And Hecht said older children also serve as counselors at both camps.
“It’s a real nice developmental experience,” she said.
The donations from The Mirror will benefit all 4-H’ers who want to attend camp.
“Anywhere we can help keep that cost down, the better,” she said. “We feel we can affect everybody with that. The camp experience can be life-changing.”
This is not the first time The Mirror has teamed with a local youth group.
For the past five years, the Mirror has worked with the Tonganoxie junior high and high school music programs under a similar program. The project with music students, which is held each spring, has helped the students defray costs of band and choir trips. In spring 2005, The Mirror again will offer the program to music students.
Caroline Trowbridge, editor and publisher of The Mirror, said extending the project to 4-H’ers was a natural.
“For the five years that I’ve had the privilege of working at The Mirror, I’ve been fortunate to witness first-hand the good work that our county’s 4-H clubs do,” Trowbridge said. “They’re dependable, hard-working kids who are learning valuable leadership skills through the 4-H program.”
The month of October — which is 4-H Month — seemed like a good time to work on the program, Trowbridge said.
The fund-raiser ends Nov. 12.
An order form appears on page 2B of today’s edition of The Mirror. Or people are encouraged to call The Mirror directly to order as part of the program.
Hecht said that while all proceeds will go directly toward helping defray the overall cost of camps for county 4-H’ers, the top selling 4-H club will receive a special club outing award.
For additional information about the project, call Trowbridge at The Mirror, (913) 845-2222, or Hecht at the county extension office, (800) 250-2057.