MONTE VISTA — Good Speed Automotive in Monte Vista made a generous donation to start a Colorado State University gift account that will support the efforts of the SLV Extension team in its education for agriculture, families, and youth in the San Luis Valley.

“You cannot imagine my surprise and excitement when I received the call from Burke Cornum, manager at Good Speed Automotive, saying that they wanted to invest in our Extension program,” explained a grateful Larry Brown, SLV Area Extension Director, “and I didn’t even have to ask!”

The SLV Area Extension team believes in the power of lifelong learning — that every individual at every age from every walk of life is more likely to have a healthier, more productive life if they engage in lifelong learning. CSU Extension delivers these learning opportunities to the citizens of Colorado in the communities where they live.

“At SLV Area Extension,” continued Brown, “everything we do is designed to foster healthy youth and families, prosperous farms, ranches, and businesses, and strong, resilient, proud communities. We are in the process of rebuilding the Extension staff and program in the Valley. In the past year, all six Valley counties and CSU alike have done what they could to increase our funding, allowing us to add one new agent position, plus part-time, 4-H youth program coordinators in each county. All this has brought us back up to about half capacity of what we once were, and yet we still have potential to provide so much more service and value if we can continue to rebuild.”

“This donation from Good Speed Automotive is going to help us to do things like purchase a truck that I can use to pull our livestock scales to 4-H members’ homes, pull our STEM and Career trailers to schools around the Valley, and transport our 4-H members to leadership conferences around the state,” said Morgan Young, SLV Area 4-H Youth Development Agent. “I envision this gift account growing to the point where we will be able to fund scholarships for every active 4-H member as they graduate high school to whatever postsecondary education or vocational training program they might choose.”

Now that the gift account has been established with Good Speed’s initial donation, Young has also established a relationship with City Market by which any community member who shops there can sign up for City Market’s “Community Rewards” and help support SLV Area Extension and the 4-H program.

“The best part is that it cost the shopper nothing,” explained Young. “If you have a City Market shopper’s card, simply select SLV 4-H and SLV Colorado State University Extension on the Rewards website, and while you earn your own rewards, we earn rewards, too.”

Using this Rewards program, SLV Area Extension will earn a percentage of the total purchase just like people earn on fuel points. All these monies will go toward the scholarship fund, or toward other 4-H and Extension operational needs to keep the program growing and giving back.

To join Good Speed Automotive and City Market in supporting the growth and community educational efforts of your SLV Area Extension, people can contribute any amount from $5 to a legacy donation which might fund an agent, build a building, or establish an endowment scholarship fund.

Make checks to CSU Foundation, and bring them to the Extension office in Monte Vista, or mail to Office of Engagement and Extension, Attn: Ali Eccleston, 4040 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523. A person may specify that the donation is to be used for a specific purpose or specify that it can be used for general needs as determined by Extension staff.

If you have questions or would like more information, contact Young or Brown at 719-852-7381.