| Idaho
Friends of 4-H hope to launch new license plate
For those who wear their hearts on their sleeves for 4-H, fans hope they’ll soon be able to add the familiar green clover to their Idaho license plates. The Idaho Friends of 4-H board is asking fans of the popular University of Idaho Extension 4-H Youth Development program to support a licensing option to raise money for activities. Idaho Friends of 4-H, a volunteer fundraising group, is offering an online survey to gauge opinions and collect signatures. The online survey is at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JPWS999 . Signup sheets are also available at University of Idaho Extension county offices statewide for vehicle owners to signal their intent to buy the plates. To get the license plate idea down the road, the group needs the signatures of at least 250 owners of Idaho-registered motor vehicles. “We’ve had a fair amount of response already,” said Jim Wilson, who serves on the board of Idaho Friends of 4-H. Wilson is also University of Idaho Extension’s Kootenai County office chairman and 4-H specialist at Coeur d’Alene. Of the 160 people who responded to the survey, 142 indicated they would buy the 4-H license plate. The short survey consists of five questions that can be completed in about two minutes. Wilson said the group would like toshow as much support for the new plate as possible before submitting the proposal to the Idaho Transportation Department. “We’d like to have 800 to 1,000 people saying they intend to buy the plate,” Wilson said. Idaho’s special license plates offer vehicle owners the chance to show their support and donate to their causes. A new special plate adds $35 to a vehicle registration fee, and $22 would go to 4-H programs. Renewals of special plates cost $25, and $12 would go to 4-H. Popular Idaho special license plate options show support for wildlife, youth and agriculture. The proposed new plate displays the green 4-H clover to the left of Idaho’s familiar red, white and blue backdrop behind mountains and forests. The slogan, “To Make the Best Better,” appears across the bottom. If the bid to add a new 4-H plate succeeds, Wilson said, the money will help fund new and existing programs statewide. The new push follows statewide centennial activities sponsored in 2011 by Idaho 4-H. University of Idaho Extension 4-H provides leadership and educational activities for more than 36,000 young Idahoans ages 8 to 18 each year with help from more than 4,000 volunteers. |
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