On a recent Friday afternoon, school was out for parent-teacher conferences and I had the day off. My son and I decided it was a perfect day to go to the Tulsa State Fair. Since it was only the second day of the fair and a weekday, there were no big crowds and the weather was beautiful.
My son on a scary ride at the Tulsa State Fair. I prefer the FFA and 4-H exhibits!
After the sky ride gave us a bird’s eye view of the fair, my son’s first stop was a crazy ride that made me shaky just watching him. Now that he’s 11 and taller, he’s able to go on all of the big-kid rides. I preferred to watch.
Since I didn’t grow up around ranches or farms, I gravitate to the livestock and horse shows, as well as the 4-H and FFA exhibits. I’m always amazed at the maturity of the young people who raise and show the livestock and participate in the competitions. I love to wander up and down the stalls – watching where I step – to see all the different types of cows, horses and pigs.
I’m proud that my company supports all kinds of 4-H and FFA activities across the United States in areas where we have operations. Both organizations are about developing young people into leaders and tend to be the heart of communities, both urban and rural.
Our employees support these organizations by making personal donations that are matched by our company, volunteering at events and requesting company grants. Here is a sample of the activities we’ve sponsored recently:
- Replacing 3-D targets for the Archery Club in Carbon County, Wyoming
- Funding STEM-related natural resources education at the Holiday Lake 4-H Educational Center in Virginia
- Teaching conservation at Lewis County, West Virginia’s 4-H STEM summer camp
- Supporting workforce preparedness at Converse County, Wyoming’s 4-H/FFA “Struttin’ Our Stuff” event
- Funding new swine pens in the barns at the Marshall County, West Virginia’s County Fairgrounds
- Funding the expansion of Camp Muskingum Discovery Center in Carroll County, Ohio
- Funding trophies for the Owasso, Oklahoma FFA Car & Bike Show
- Funding STEM education in Uinta County, Utah to help students apply science and technology to real challenges and projects
4-H and FFA are so much more than agricultural education. These vital programs are growing our next generation of leaders.
Here’s a short video of my wandering at the fair.
Sara Delgado, a communications specialist and 21-year Williams employee, wrote this post. This is part of an occasional series called #Natgas Mom.