On May 11, 1981, a tragedy struck the town of DeWitt, Iowa. The Iowanna Juniors 4-H Club was conducting a meeting when an explosion occurred in the house where the meeting was being held. The explosion severely injured and burned 27 4-H members, their parents, siblings and 4-H leaders. It was a miracle no one lost their life that night.

In the face of this tragedy, citizens of DeWitt pulled together to support these victims. Those injured became known as the “burn victims” and a fund was established to help them with their medical expenses. The youngest “burn victim” was just 18 months old at the time. That person is now 26years old, and there is no longer a need for these funds to be held.

It is at this time the “burn victims’’ would like to give back to the community that provided them so much support throughout the years. These victims established the Iowanna Junior 4-H Club Scholarship that is awarded annually to a graduating senior from Clinton County schools. The recipient will need to have been a 4-H member for four years and exemplifies leadership skill gained through 4-H. This scholarship will be given in cooperation with the support of the Central Insurance Agency in DeWitt.