Baumgardner directs donation to HUGS
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send your username and password to you.

The Red River Sun/Bev Odom
Melanie Baumgardner presents a $2,500 gift from The America’s Farmers Grow Communities program to Hearts United Give Support (HUGS) President Shannon West with board members Renee Hanna, Norma Spillman, Debra Belew, Lennie Statham, Sharon Starkey, Nancy Harris and Marcy Sessions. Board members not pictured include Frances Holland, Carolyn Keller, Della Lewis, Bev Odom and Megan Wischkaemper and advisor Neal Odom.
Farmers help cancer support group
Special to The Sun
WELLINGTON — Local farmer Melanie Baumgardner recently directed a $2,500 American’s Farmers Grow Communities donation, sponsored by Bayer Fund, to Hearts United Give Support (HUGS), a cancer support group in Collingsworth County.
HUGS will use the funds to provide financial assistance to cancer patients living in Collingsworth County as they seek treatment for cancer.
“Donations such as this help fund our non-profit organization, which we are very thankful for the generous gift,” said Shannon West, president of the HUGS board of directors.
Collingsworth County residents diagnosed with cancer can access the funds by completing an application and providing appointment cards to West or Renee Hanna at Wellington State Bank. The America’s Farmers programs have given more than $57 million to rural America since 2010.
The Grow Communities program partners with farmers across the country to provide nonprofit organizations with resources to strengthen their local communities. Each August, farmers can enter for the chance to direct a $2,500 Grow Communities donation to a local eligible nonprofit of their choice.
Farmers have directed donations to food banks, emergency response organizations, schools, youth agriculture programs and many others that reflect the spirit and support the vibrancy of rural America.
“Farmers truly understand the needs of their communities and where the opportunities to strengthen them exist,” said Al Mitchell, Bayer Fund president. “We partner with them to identify the nonprofit organizations that benefit from Grow Communities donations. Each donation shines a light on the organizations that are making a positive difference in rural communities across the country. Bayer Fund is proud to partner with farmers to give back in rural America.”
To learn how you can be an America’s Farmers Grow Communities recipient, visit www.AmericasFarmers.com. The America’s Farmers Grow Communities 2021 program kicked off Aug. 1, and farmers will once again have the opportunity to enroll for a chance to direct a donation to a local eligible nonprofit of their choice.
Bayer Fund is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the communities where Bayer customers and employees live and work by providing funding for food and nutrition, education and community development projects.