2002 Illinois 4-H Club Awards

ADAMS COUNTY
Fall Creek Friends 4-H Club
Mechanics & Technology
Constructed and put up a "Welcome to Payson" sign, welcoming those entering the community. Created a website to educate the community on the history of Payson, special events, and community organizations. Placed pictures and articles of various 4-H events in local newspapers.

ADAMS COUNTY
Payson Progressors 4-H Club
Mechanics & Technology
Created a safety calendar. Conducted monthly safety presentations, including topics on farm safety, food safety, bicycle safety, computer safety, and campfire safety. Held a Hog Roast fundraiser, to collect funds to purchase a thermal rescue camera in honor of local firemen and rescue workers.

ADAMS COUNTY
Quinsippi 4-Hers 4-H Club
Agriculture
Participated in the Big Brother-Big Sister Bowl for Kids Sake, and raised over $250. Hosted presentations from veterinarians to discuss the care and treatment of animals. Raised and donated money to the Humane Society, to assist in educating the public about animal shelters.

ADAMS COUNTY
Ursa Willing Workers 4-H Club
Agriculture
Food, Nutrition & Health
Planted and cared for the flowerbeds at a local park. Held a blood drive and provided refreshments to three other blood drives. Held a bread bake sale, and donated the money to the Salvation Army for hygiene products. Assisted at a local grocery store on Earth Day to educate consumers about plants. Promoted National Dairy Month.

BOONE COUNTY
Flora Producers 4-H Club
Food, Nutrition & Health
Collected over 450 pounds of non-perishable food items, and over $500 to help fill the local Salvation Army food pantry, and educated the community about nutrition. Purchased canned hams and grocery gift certificates for needy families. Baked and decorated 120 valentine cookies for a rescue mission. Volunteered at the County Dairy Breakfast.

BUREAU COUNTY
Dover-Berlin 4-H Club
Environment & Natural Resources
Mechanics & Technology
Food, Nutrition & Health
Agriculture
Hosted a club campout to promote club and family bonding. Promoted dairy and agriculture as they visited area schools and nursing homes. Hosted a microwave school for members and guests to learn about cooking nutritious meals fast. Held a cookout at a local grocery store, and set up a lunch stand at local farms to promote nutrition. Educated the public of the Slow Moving Vehicle sign.

BUREAU COUNTY
South Princeton Achievers 4-H Club
Environment & Natural Resources
Made and donated 7 wood duck nesting houses, 3 bluebird houses, and 8 butterfly houses to the Department of Conservation. Added 1 butterfly house to the club's own butterfly garden. Hosted guest speakers to educate the youth on wildlife habitats.

CHAMPAIGN COUNTY
Dream Catchers 4-H Club
Mechanics & Technology
Participated in the '4-H Can Make A Difference' Campaign. Rang bells for the Salvation Army. Educated the community on Bicycle Safety by discussing safety equipment and apparel, and how to make bike repairs.

CHRSITIAN COUNTY
Go-Getters 4-H Club
Personal Development
Reenacted the school days of 1882. Wore authentic costumes, and used authentic materials, including an American flag that had only 21 stars. Learned communication, commitment and leadership as they followed through with a 'Learn By Doing' attitude.

CLARK COUNTY
Casey Achievers 4-H Club
Agriculture
Environment & Natural Resources
Collected and donated 2800 pounds of nuts to The Department of Natural Resources. Collected $350 for the United Fund. Clipped and counted 600 Campbell's labels for school. Contributed school supplies for underprivileged children. Constructed magnets and table centerpieces for the nursing home. Cleaned a 2-mile stretch of highway.

CLINTON COUNTY
Sugarcreek 4-H Country Kids 4-H Club
Personal Development
Participated in the 'Walk In My Shoes' project, where they sang songs, held interviews, told stories, brought Christmas gifts, and made special Valentine's Day heart cakes to the residents of a local nursing home. Gained self worth and respect for themselves, and the individuals within the community.

COLES COUNTY
Morgan Mities Second Generation 4-H Club
Community Involvement & Global Awareness
Provided hats and mittens to eight children, so that they could keep warm during the winter months. Promoted 'Farm Safety Weekend' where the youth collected supplies and donations to create 300 First Aid Kits. Collected and donated personal items to the Veteran's Hospital patients.

COOK COUNTY
Clever Clovers 4-H Club
Agriculture
Delicious
Made 18 pillows for The American Cancer Society as part of the 'Reach To Recovery' program. Purchased gifts and clothing for families in need. Assisted the Master Gardeners in the cleaning and planting of bulbs at senior citizen homes. Adopted a river otter at the zoo.

CUMBERLAND COUNTY
Hurricane Hustlers 4-H Club
Environment & Natural Resources
Collected funds to plant and replace 18 shade trees at the County Fair Grounds. Learned how to choose trees for a specific environment, how to select the correct location, and how to properly plant and care for them. Held a Soup Supper fund drive.

DEWITT COUNTY
Clinton Country Clovers 4-H Club
Personal Development
Collected $800 in funds to provide free eye exams and eyeglasses to 100 children whose families could not afford them. Provided scholarships to members attending county, state, and national 4-H events and activities. Decorated a window to celebrate the 100th birthday of 4-H, representing the years of 4-H from 1902 to 2002.

FAYETTE COUNTY
Ramsey Senors & Senoritas 4-H Club
Personal Development
Family, Nutrition & Health
Held their 7th annual Celebrity Dinner, where they raised $2,600 for playground equipment at a local park, the Fayette County General Fair Show Building, and the 4-H Scholarship fund. Hosted a Bike-A-Thon and raised $1,280 for St. Jude Children's Hospital. During Dairy Month, they held a coloring contest and nutrition camp. Made Valentine's Day cards for Veterans.

FORD COUNTY
Melvin Adventurers 4-H Club
Home & Family
Provided a new parent with a baby box filled with a handmade afghan, plug protectors, and other safety products. Made holiday cards, conducted a program, and celebrated special events with 12 residents of a local nursing home as part of the 'Adopt-a-Resident' program. Recycled 38,000 pounds of newspaper and 1200 pounds of aluminum. Provided Thanksgiving fruit plates for area seniors and shut-ins. Held a breakfast with Santa for 35 youth.

HANCOCK COUNTY
Hamilton Busy Beavers 4-H Club
Personal Development
Filled and decorated 15 cookie boxes for the annual Extension Foundation silent auction. Donated warm winter clothing for the 'Caps For Kids' program. Collected nonperishable food items for the '4-H Can Make A Difference' campaign. Educated local pre-school children about agriculture during 'Preschool Ag Day'.

HARDIN COUNTY
Jammin' Clovers 4-H Club
Environment & Natural Resources
Purchased and planted a variety of flowers, and assisted in the upkeep and preservation of the Historic Grounds at a local Memorial Park. Earned club membership in the Junior Master Gardeners program. Participated in the 1st Annual Block Party to recognize area businesses and organizations.

IROQUOIS COUNTY
Danforth Blue Ribbons 4-H Club
Food, Nutrition & Health
Served 775 meals at their Annual Pork Chop Supper fundraising event. Assembled and delivered 65 cookie trays for area shut-ins. Designed coloring pages and made ice cream in a bag with 100 summer school children to promote 'June Is Dairy Month'.

KANKAKEE COUNTY
St. George Dragons 4-H Club
Home & Family
Made baby quilts for the Harbor House, a program against domestic disturbance. Donated and wrapped gifts for foster children at Christmas time. Provided food, personal items, and reading materials to the troops in Afghanistan. Purchased items for the Ronald McDonald House.

LAKE COUNTY
Chain O'Lakes 4-H Club
Environment & Natural Resources
Personal Development
Agriculture
Coordinated a weekly horse riding clinic, trail riding, and a horseplay day show. Made 15 bird feeders and helped clean the Lake County Forest Preserve. Held brown bag seminars to promote public speaking skills.

LEE COUNTY
Golden Aces 4-H Club
Community Involvement & Global Awareness
Purchased, planted, and harvested pumpkins for a 'Pumpkin Hunt'. 50 individuals participated in a variety of games, including a seed-spitting contest, and a pumpkin ring toss. Gained skills in planning and implementing large events. Worked closely with area businesses to advertise and provide this free event to the community.

LEE COUNTY
Sub-Let Indians 4-H Club
Personal Development
Agriculture
Home & Family
Mechanics & Technology
Went door to door collecting over 200 pounds of nonperishable food items for the '4-H Can Make A Difference' campaign. Collected over 1,000 pop tabs for the Ronald McDonald House. Put together 30 packages of personal supplies for the Freedom House for women. Set up booths at local dealerships to hand out Accident Emergency Reports.

MACON COUNTY
Homesteaders 4-H Club
Mechanics & Technology
Created a lawnmower safety book titled, "Homesteaders 4-H Club Book of Lawnmower Safety Rules", complete with pictures. These books were distributed to every school library in Illinois. Held a 50/50 raffle, and a Chicken Noodle Dinner and Silent Auction to raise funds for their projects. Visited various farm machinery plants and participated in several club workshops about safety.

McHENRY COUNTY
4-H Falcons 4-H Club
Community Involvement & Global Awareness
Made a 7' x 10' patchwork wall hanging for the New Horizons Transitional Living community area. This wall hanging consists of an American Flag, surrounded with patches of creativity made by each member. Sold Christmas crafts as a fundraiser to purchase items for the Veteran Home 'Wish List'.

McHENRY COUNTY
Horse Lovers 4-H Club
Community Involvement & Global Awareness
Planned and coordinated an 'International Day' where 6 countries were represented. They educated 120 community members about other countries, without having to go there. Displays were set up of traditions, food, maps, and games. Members visited a Japanese Garden, learned of native plants, and hosted public speakers that had traveled the world.

McHENRY COUNTY
Huntley Harvestors 4-H Club
Home & Family
Mechanics & Technology
Agriculture
Promoted 4-H in three parades, along with their mascot, 'Clover the Cow'. Hosted a Petting Zoo at a town picnic. Collected nonperishable foods for the '4-H Can Make A Difference' campaign. Delivered gifts for the holiday season to two residents with mental and/or physical disabilities. Conducted safety and maintenance bike checkup for members participating in their local 'Bike-A-Thon'.

McLEAN COUNTY
Chenoa Space Age Pioneers 4-H Club
Food, Nutrition & Health
Taught a nutrition lesson on healthy holiday snacks to 100 children and families who visited Santa. Held food judging workshops and taste tests during monthly meetings and at local after-school programs. Demonstrated how to make homemade ice cream. Collected over 400 nonperishable food items for the '4-H Can Make A Difference' campaign.

McLEAN COUNTY
Hudson Ag 4-H 4-H Club
Food, Nutrition & Health
Prepared First Aid Kits filled with safety information, emergency phone numbers, Band-Aids, tape, ice packs, and more for 100 senior citizens at the 'Super Senior' luncheon. Held workshops to educate the youth about emergency first aid, animal first aid, and how to create first aid kits. Public speakers, including an Emergency Medical Technician and a Fireman discussed their careers and the opportunities available.

McLEAN COUNTY
Towanda Busy Bees 4-H Club
Agriculture
Home & Family
After 30 hours of power washing, scraping, painting, and planting, these 4-hers performed a facelift on the County Bandstand. Held their 9th annual blood drive. Donated volunteer hours to plant, prune and clean the library, inside and out. Visited a local nursing home throughout the year to deliver holiday decorations, make favors, and sing.

McLEAN COUNTY
Towanda 4-H Club
Agriculture
Added a tree, a butterfly bush, and two plants for the birds, to their 22' x 88' club garden. Sold pop at the 4th of July Flea Market. Attended the University of Illinois Vet Clinic Open House to learn about the career of veterinarian. Hosted public speakers, including a local Veterinarian and an individual from the Humane Society. Donated supplies to the local Humane Society. Hosted a pet contest for dogs, cats, and critters.

MERCER COUNTY
Saddle Teens 4-H Club
Food, Nutrition & Health
Hosted a Diabetes Specialist to discuss with the club valuable information about diabetes and the risks involved. Made and posted various flyers, posters, and displays to educate the public about diabetes. Coordinated blood glucose screening with the County Health Department.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Raymond Buckeyes 4-H Club
Environment & Natural Resources
For 12 years, this group has continued their community wide recycling program as their main fundraiser. Planted trees in a new section of Raymond Park. Held an annual 'Pickup Day' to pick up trash and refuse from local parks, schoolyards, and other public areas.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Whirlwinds 4-H Club
Environment & Natural Resources
Home & Family
Food, Nutrition & Health
Partnered with Helping Hands and the Salvation Army to collect clothing, shoes, furniture, and household items to support foster families and those in need. Visited area nursing homes and hospitals. Helped the fire department put together 35 food baskets for needy families.

RANDOLPH COUNTY
Country Crusaders 4-H Club
Community Involvement & Global Awareness
Personal Development
Home & Family
Collaborated with a local radio station to provide toys and games to over 600 families with children in order to make their Christmas a little brighter. Toys and games were collected, cleaned, repaired and distributed. Made crafts and served ice cream to the residents of an area nursing home.

SANGAMON COUNTY
Rochester Cooper Jets 4-H Club
Mechanics & Technology
Conducted monthly cleanup and maintenance checks at a local playground. After a bad flood that caused too much damage to handle on their own, they hosted a 'Cleanup Day' to make the needed repairs. Celebrated 4-H's 100th birthday by throwing a party, where they dedicated 6 checkerboard tables, made by the members, to the playground.

SANGAMON COUNTY
North Sangamon 4-H Club
Community Involvement & Global Awareness
Made and distributed 100 Valentine cards, along with calling cards, to area soldiers who were away from home. Collected personal care items for the Washington Street Mission. Donated school supplies for the Haitian Christian Mission, to send to overseas children.

SCOTT COUNTY
Country Critters 4-H Club
Community Involvement & Global Awareness
Hosted a cookout for the County Fair Horse Arena, to raise $300 towards the improvements, and donated a flag, flagpole, and a monument, complete with landscaping. Donated 20 yards of fabric and thread toward the 'Blankets for Linus' program. Raised $366 for The American Heart Association. Made and distributed 4-H Clover cookies for those who support the 4-H program in Scott County. Purchased gifts for two individuals from the Angel Tree for Christmas. Collected 570 pounds of nonperishable foods for the '4-H Can Make A Difference' campaign.

WHITESIDE COUNTY
Genesee Hillbillies 4-H Club
Community Involvement & Global Awareness
Personal Development
Environment & Natural Resources
Painted the wrought iron fence, and cared for the grounds of two local cemeteries. Donated and planted flowers in town. Participated in roadside cleanup. Collected 50 pounds of pop tabs for the Ronald McDonald House. Held a 'Magnificent Monday', allowing youth to conduct presentations of various projects and to gain public speaking experience.

WILL COUNTY
Wesley 4-H Hustlers 4-H Club
Community Involvement & Global Awareness
Coordinated a 'Share-A-Friend' program, where 4-H members, and other youth programs take time to interact, play miniature golf, bowl, go to the movies, and a variety of other activities, with individuals who are mentally and/or physically challenged. Collected 200 pounds of nonperishable food per month for the '4-H Can Make A Difference' campaign. On the evening of the Homecoming Parade alone, they collected 2200 pounds of nonperishable food items.

WINNEBAGO COUNTY
Owen Blue Bonnets 4-H Club
Personal Development
Environment & Natural Resources
Home & Family
Conducted a variety of hands-on workshops, open to the public, ranging from quilting and poise, to surviving the outdoors and weed prevention. Created environmentally friendly Christmas ornaments to hang on the evergreens at the park. Made 60 Christmas books for the residents of an area nursing home. Hosted a Grandmother's Tea, a Dad's Dessert Night, and an Ice Cream Social.

WINNEBAGO COUNTY
Auburn Achievers 4-H Club
Home & Family
Food, Nutrition & Health
Constructed 'Hearts and Hands' quilts for agencies which provide for the agencies who help families in need, including the 'Linus Project', the Rockfort Rescue Mission and the Crisis Pregnancy Center. Decks of cards and colored markers for recreational therapy were donated to the University of Illinois Rehabilitation Center in Chicago. Held club contests including, 'Best Dairy Dish', 'Best Poster', and 'Best Mooing'. Hung posters at local grocery stores and libraries to promote Dairy.

WOODFORD COUNTY
The Mavericks 4-H Club
Community Involvement & Global Awareness
In coordination of celebrating 4-H's 100th birthday, they set up project displays, held a raffle, and hosted a Chili Dinner for 380 community members to help raise funds to fix the General Projects Building at the Woodford County Fair after a bad rainstorm.

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