Annual EventsLegislative Connection XIIMarch 10, 2008 Dear 4-H Legislative Connection XII Participant: As many of you may know, the Illinois State Fair experienced a major electrical crisis a little over a month ago that led to the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s cancellation of all activities on the fairgrounds property until May 31. This decision has directly affected this year’s 4-H Legislative Connection program. A major part of 4-H Legislative Connection is our ability to accommodate approximately 350 vehicles, as well as chartered buses, and the registration of more than 800 participants and support staff that gather for a morning breakfast and briefing session. Since receiving the news that we would not be able to use the fairgrounds, we have worked diligently in an attempt to locate an alternate facility. Regrettably, we have not been able to locate another facility to compensate for our loss of the state fairgrounds. On Friday, February 29, we received a call from personnel at the Secretary of State Physical Services Department that coordinates the Capitol space for the exhibition of Superior Award winning displays. We were informed that during the time period that included 4-H Legislative Connection one entire wing of the Capitol would be closed for painting. This would severely disrupt the exhibition, limit pedestrian traffic throughout the first floor of the Capitol, and impact our scheduled midday Salute to 4-H rally event. After exploring what we believe to be all of our alternatives, and after much discussion, it is with deep regret that we are forced to cancel 4-H Legislative Connection XII due to circumstances beyond our control. We realize many of you have made hotel plans, have taken time off of work and have already arranged to take your children out of school. We will be contacting the hotels to inform them of our event cancellation. You should contact them as soon as possible regarding a refund. Refunds of registration fees will be made in the following manner: 1) If you paid by credit card, we will process a refund back to your credit card. Please allow two full billing cycles for your refund. 2) If you paid by check we will be processing a refund check to you within the next 45 days. 3) If you paid by a transfer of funds we will be refunding with a transfer of funds. 4) If you have paid by a check we have not cashed, that check is enclosed. If you were selected to attend Legislative Connection XII as a Superior Award Winner from the 2007 State Fair, please note that you will be given the opportunity to attend Legislative Connection XII in 2009 regardless of whether you receive a Superior Award rating at this year’s Illinois State Fair. Again, we appreciate your patience and regret having to cancel this event due to circumstances beyond our control. We look forward to bringing you a quality event next year! If you have any questions about the refund process or attending next year’s event, please contact Debbie Garthwait at 217-333-5269. Sincerely, Sharon R. Petefish University of Illinois Extension Specialist 4-H Youth Development |
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