| One of the great
childhood joys for Bob and Maxine Hubbard Burton of Athens was the
fun and friendships of participating in the 4-H program and attending
4-H summer camps.
Growing up, Maxine was involved in 4-H in Forsyth County and attended
camp at Rock Eagle, Wahsega and Tybee Island. Bob attended camp
at Rock Eagle, and as a UGA student he spent the summer of 1968
as a counselor at the Tybee Island camp.
“I saw what an impact that camp had, especially on kids from
rural areas,” Bob remembers of his counselor experience. “I’ll
never forget watching kids see the ocean for the first time. It
just opened up a whole new world for them.”
Adds Maxine, “Some of my most cherished memories and valuable
life experiences were through 4-H programs and attending camps.
I’m grateful for the opportunities 4-H provides young people
throughout Georgia and the United States, and for the opportunities
that were provided to me.”
So it’s not surprising that when Bob and Maxine learned that
the 57-year-old Tybee Island camp had fallen into such serious disrepair
it might be closed, they immediately offered to help with a donation
to the Georgia 4-H Foundation. Their gift, along with smaller contributions,
helped pay for urgent repairs and renovations on the camp’s
buildings.
In appreciation, UGA—which operates the 4-H program through
the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences—will
name the camp the Burton 4-H Center on Tybee Island. A ceremony
will be held May 28 at the camp to make the name official.
“Thanks to Bob and Maxine’s generosity, new life has
been breathed into this facility and it will continue to provide
enjoyment and education to Georgia 4-H members,” says President
Michael F. Adams. “We are very pleased to honor these outstanding
alumni supporters in this way.”
The Burtons own Flowers Inc. Balloons in Athens, the largest supplier
of balloons and related items in the country. Bob graduated from
UGA in 1971 in agriculture. Maxine received a bachelor’s degree
in education in 1972 and a master’s in 1978.
The Tybee Island facility, opened in 1947, is one of five 4-H centers
in the state.
About 1,000 children attend week-long summer camps at the center,
and 6,000–7,000 come throughout the year for three-day education
programs on coastal ecology and the marine environment.
Arch Smith, associate state 4-H leader, says time, weather and heavy
use had taken a harsh toll on the center’s buildings. The
Burtons’ gift helped pay for electrical upgrades, new floors
and wall coverings for cabins, renovation of the dining hall and
relocation and remodeling of a staff house, Smith says.
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