By: Pam Larson, Homecoming Chairman, 4-H Foundation Board Member
“Every traveler has a home of his own, and he learns to appreciate it the more from his wandering.”
— Charles Dickens
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni of a school, university, or organization. But at Kentucky 4-H, it is much more than that. As my second year serving as Homecoming Chairman, I am extremely excited about this year’s Homecoming event.
On April 20, 2013, past, present, and future 4-H’ers are invited to the Hilton Garden Inn to honor Kentucky 4-H and to reminisce about their fond memories of their time in 4-H. The Kentucky 4-H Homecoming Celebration will be a casual celebration that will feature dinner and a time to reconnect with friends, educators, and mentors.
4-H Homecoming means tradition and memories. It is a time where you are taken back to your 4-H days — a time to laugh and reminisce with old friends about camp, competitions, and the camaraderie that has followed us throughout our lifetime. It is surprising how our memories today are built around many things that went unnoticed at the time.
For many of us, 4-H has had a tremendous impact on who we have become as people and how we live our lives today. It is truly special to spend one wonderful night with people who share the same emotional connection to 4-H that you do.
We encourage you to invite your friends and family to the event to share this wonderful experience with them. We also want to highly encourage alumni to bring memorabilia to share. Memorabilia that has been shared at previous Homecomings include t-shirts, pictures, campaign material, and scrapbooks. We are not asking for these items to be donated, just simply to be shared.
You will be surprised how one picture or t-shirt can trigger a flood of memories. Memory is holding onto the things you love, the things you are, and the things you never want to lose. The 4-H Homecoming is the perfect event to share them with your fellow alumni.
Tickets to the Homecoming event cost $40 per person. You must RSVP for the event by April 12, 2013.
The Kentucky 4-H Foundation has a block of rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn, located at 110 Grandstand Drive in Georgetown, Ky. for anyone who may be traveling from a distance or for people who just want to continue the fun after the event.
The deadline for room reservations is April 8, 2013. Please call the hotel directly at 502-863-0099, or Hilton’s toll-free phone number at 1-800 HILTONS. The room block group code is “4H2”, or you can simply tell them you’re with the Kentucky 4-H Foundation. All rooms are $89.00, plus tax, and the room rate is good for Friday and Saturday nights.
For those who choose to spend the night or live in the area, Kentucky 4-H Foundation also would like to invite you to join us for a day at Keeneland on Sunday afternoon. You can purchase a grandstand seat tickets through the 4-H Foundation for $10 each. The deadline to purchase Keeneland tickets is April 1, 2013.
Activities at the Homecoming will include:
• Reception and Dinner
• Silent and Live Auction
• Homecoming Program
• Post Celebration (optional)
• A chance to look at 4-H Memorabilia
• Historic Slide Show
• Trip to Keeneland on Sunday (optional)
Share your 4-H Memories: Everyone is invited to send photos to be included in the Slide Shows.
• For digital or scanned photos, please email them by April 1st to: Tony.Burnett@uky.edu
• For hard-copy photos, please mail the photos by April 1st to: Tony Burnett, 212 Scovell Hall, Lexington, KY 40546-0064
• If you have other 4-H memorabilia you want to bring for display during the Homecoming, please contact Tony at 859-257-7178.
What you should know:
• Tickets for the event are $40 per person; you must RSVP by April 12
• Rooms are available at Hilton Garden Inn for $89 a night; you must reserve your room by April 8
• Tickets for Keeneland is $10 per person; you must RSVP by April 1
• The dress for the Homecoming event is casual
• A silent and live auction will be held at the event; come prepared to bid
• A cash bar will be available
• Plan to have fun
To Register:
• Download Homecoming Registration form and to mail to the 4-H Foundation.
• Call The Kentucky 4-H Foundation at 859-257-7178
• Fill out electronic registration online — Coming soon.
We look forward to seeing you at the 2013 Kentucky 4-H Foundation Homecoming Celebration!
