Crader Distributing Co. and Missouri 4-H Foundation announce partnership

COLUMBIA, Mo.– Crader Distributing Company-Blue-Mountain Equipment and the Missouri 4-H Foundation announced a new partnership that will provide community service grant funding to 4-H faculty, county 4-H councils and 4-H clubs throughout the state of Missouri, beginning in July.

“We are committed to the growth, prosperity and stability of the community as a whole,” said Stan Crader, president of Crader Distributing Co. “We see this as an exciting new opportunity to extend our support to families throughout Missouri, while encouraging Missouri youth to take an active role in community service and civic engagement.”

Founded in 1944 in Marble Hill, Missouri, Crader Distributing Co. is a family-owned business and the exclusive distributor of Stihl outdoor power equipment in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and southern Illinois. Along with its sister organization, Blue Mountain Equipment, which services Texas and Oklahoma, CDC provides Stihl outdoor power equipment to more than 1,300 dealers throughout the Midwest.

Through this generous new partnership, Missouri 4-H youths, who learn the importance of giving back to their communities very early on in their 4-H involvement, will be eligible for grants to match funding for 4-H service learning projects in their local communities.

“We are deeply grateful to Crader Distributing Co. for their generous support of the Missouri 4-H Foundation’s community service grant program,” said Missouri 4-H Foundation executive director Cheryl Reams. “Service learning is a key component of the Missouri 4-H program and these projects have a lasting impact on 4-H members and the communities they serve.”

Celebrating 64 years of service to 4-H youth, the Missouri 4-H Foundation secures and manages funds for the MU Extension 4-H Youth Development Program, provides higher education scholarships, and recognizes 4-H volunteers. MU Extension 4-H is a community of 276,921 youths from across Missouri learning leadership, citizenship and life skills.