ILDERTON, ONT (October 7, 2025) – The Ontario 4-H Foundation is pleased to share that their handcrafted canoe raffle raised $14,580 in gross ticket sales for the Stanley Knapp Resource Development Endowment Fund. The 15-foot handcrafted cedar canoe was built by Ron McRae, long-standing 4-H supporter, 4-H alumnus and grandson of Stanley Knapp.
The raffle was drawn on September 28 at the Ilderton Fair, and the winner was Danny Jefferies. For Jefferies, the canoe will serve as a reminder of the community he’s long supported. “I’ve been involved with the fair for years,” said Danny. “To win something that means so much to Ron and to the history of 4-H makes it even more special.”
Stanley Knapp started the first Boys’ and Girls’ Club in Waterloo in 1915. By 1952, the name was changed to 4-H Canada to represent the four H’s in the pledge: head, heart, hands and health. Stanley Knapp was inducted into the Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame in 2006.
“I wanted to honour my parents, Murray and Dorothy, for the years they devoted to agriculture and 4-H here in Middlesex,” Ron explained. “This canoe was my way of putting the 4-H motto, ‘Learn to Do by Doing,’ into action, one strip of cedar at a time.”
The Stanley Knapp Resource Development Endowment Fund supports the development of 4-H project resources, giving youth across Ontario the opportunity to expand their knowledge and access up-to-date information on topics that interest them most.
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About 4-H Ontario
4-H Ontario is a non-profit positive youth development organization that builds youth as leaders within their communities and assets to the world. With roots in rural Ontario, today it is open to youth of all backgrounds across the province. 4-H youth ages 6–21 and screened, engaged volunteer leaders come together to learn about selected topics through fun hands-on activities and mentorship. There are also provincial camps, conferences, competitions, and national and international travel opportunities available to further develop skills in leadership, business, self-confidence and more. 4-H provides youth with a place they can be involved, accepted, valued and heard while developing valuable skills for leadership and life.
For more information, please contact:
Laura Goulding, Manager, Communications, 4-H Ontario
519.803.5026, communications@4-hontario.ca