Editor, the News-Herald:

The Southeast District 4-H Horse Leaders Association is pleased to announce their Fix A Stall campaign on behalf of the Airfield 4-H Conference Center and the Southeast District 4-H Educational Center in Wakefield.

Southeast Virginia is fortunate to have the facilities at Wakefield for the Southeast 4-H Educational Center.

This beautiful setting with its barns, woodlands, lodges, and lakes has hosted 4-H activities and camps that have been attended by children from throughout Virginia.

Every summer, children look forward to attending camp at the Wakefield site, and especially the 4-H Horse Camp.

Every spring, there is a 4-H horse show sponsored by the Southeast District Horse Leaders Association that is held on the grounds and is a qualifying horse show for the Virginia State Fair.

Many horse owners in southeast Virginia depend on the facility as an evacuation site in the event of a hurricane or flooding from heavy rains. Horse organizations throughout the area rent the facility to hold horse shows, trail rides, and other horse related activities.

The barns at the facility provide a unique setting for all of these activities.

But soon the barns may no longer be able to support these activities, and future generations of 4-Her’s may not be able to have a Horse Camp.

When Hurricane Isabel cut a path of destruction across Virginia in September of 2003, she did not spare the center.

The roofs of several of the barns sustained damage.

Despite requests to the state for funds to fix the barns, no funds have been allocated due to budget constraints, and much needed repairs have not been made.

In the summer of 2004, the Southeast 4-H Horse Leaders Association donated tarps to put on top of the barns to stop the leaks so that 4-H Horse Camp could be held.

Now those tarps are tattered and windblown and no longer stop the rain from leaking through and damaging the barns.

The prolonged leaks have begun to take their toll on this beautiful and unique facility, and the wood has begun to deteriorate.

Another facility in Front Royal has had to close and can no longer be used for Horse Camp due to damage at that facility.

The only 4-H Horse Camp in the state of Virginia is scheduled to take place at the Wakefield facility in July.

It will be the only 4-H Horse Camp in Virginia this year.

This camp is open to all children, and allows campers with and without horses to take part in the camp experience.

The members of the Southeast 4-H Horse Leaders Association, with the support of the Southeast 4-H Educational Center and the Airfield 4-H conference Center have begun the Fix A Stall fund raising campaign to raise money to fix the barns so that future generations of 4-Her’s will have the privilege of attending Horse Camp at Wakefield.

4-H members have already held a tack sale and raffles to raise money.

Plans are underway for a benefit horse show in August and a trail ride in October.

But additional funds are needed.

The estimated cost of repairs is $36,000. Donations to the Fix A Stall fund raiser could help insure that the barns are repaired and that 4-H Horse Camp will remain a wonderful experience for the campers.

Donations are tax deductible.

With these donations, we can fix the stalls and save the barns for future generations of Virginia’s children.

Gold sponsors who donate $200 or more will receive an acknowledgement letter, certificate of appreciation, and an individual stall plaque mounted on a stall indicating that the funds to repair the stall were donated by the sponsor with the sponsor’s name engraved on the plaque.

Silver sponsors who donate $100 up to $200 will receive an acknowledgment letter, certificate of appreciation, and will have their name inscribed on a large plaque with other barn sponsors to be placed at the end of a barn. Bronze sponsors who donate $50 up to $100 will receive an acknowledgement letter and certificate of appreciation.

Clover sponsors who donate up to $50 will receive an acknowledgement letter.

The Fix A Stall campaign will be seeking donations from the general public and corporations.

Donations may be sent to: Diane Kropewnicki, Fix A Stall Fund Raiser, 35437 Seacock chapel Road, Zuni Va 23898-3331.

Checks should be made payable to the Southeast District 4-H Horse Leaders Association. The Southeast District Horse Leaders Association is a 501(c)3 organization.

Inquiries may be made to the fund raiser campaign chairperson, Diane Kropewnicki at (757) 859-2553.

The officers of the association include Bea Brown of Dendron (757) 267-2614, Treasurer Penny McNerny of Hopewell (804) 458-6621, and Secretary Christie Britt of Suffolk (757) 986-2440.

Ronald Kropewnicki

Zuni