News Release Distributed 03/30/10

On April 1, the National 4-H Council will kick off the 4-H Give2Vote Challenge, a fundraising campaign that will involve texting on mobile phones as a way to contribute to state 4-H programs, including Louisiana’s, according to Eric Eskew, executive director of the Louisiana 4-H Foundation.

During April anyone can join the challenge by texting CLOVER to 50555 to give $10 to support 4-H. The amount appears on the donor’s mobile phone bill, recognized as a tax-deductible donation. There are no extra or hidden fees except for any data rates that already apply to the customer, Eskew said.

People who choose not to contribute by texting may also make a secure online donation at 4-H.org, Eskew said.

Each mobile gift or online donation counts as one “vote” toward Louisiana, Eskew said. At the end of the challenge, the state receiving the most votes will receive an additional $5,000 from sponsor J.C. Penney.

AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint and Nextel are participating carriers, Eskew said.