2003 Year in Review

County 4-H Award Winners

Heidi Benson (Cottonwood) and Joey Armstrong (Fenton Wizard) winners of "I Dare You Award".

Kenny Benson,Cottonwood, received an “Animal Sciences Medal”, “Farmer’s National Bank Beef Award”, “Senior Animal Care Award” ($175), and his record was selected for “State” in Animal Sciences.

Heidi Benson, Cottonwood, with her “Golden Needle Award” for sewing. She also won “Mary Catlett Memorial Award” for Top Visual Arts Exhibit, the "I Dare You Award", and “Outstanding 4-H Member".

Whiteside County 4-H members work hard all year long on community service, club activities, and projects. But a few members work a little harder by finishing off their year with paper work. They keep track of activities, fill out forms, and write stories to get county or state awards.

They do that little extra to participate in last weekends 2003 Whiteside County 4-H Awards ceremony. Top individual and also club awards were given out. The top club award went to Genesee Hillbillies again this year. Award of Excellence for clubs was given to Cottonwood Club and Genesee Hillbillies.

“Top First Year 4-H’ers” wrote a story and filled out forms. They were Jacob Baker and Katie Medema of Leon Wide Awakes, and Danielle Cooney of Hume Happy Hustlers.

Joey Armstrong, a 10-year member of Fenton Wizards, received “2003 Whiteside County 4-H’er of the Year” and the “I Dare You” Award along with “Outstanding 4-H Member”. Another Fenton Wizard member, Allie Huizenga, won an “Animal Sciences Blue Award”, “Personal Development Blue Award”, “Secretary of the Year”, and was a Communication Contest winner.

Heidi Benson, a 9-year member of Cottonwood Club, received the “Mary Catlett Memorial Award” for Top Visual Arts Exhibit, “Golden Needle Award” for sewing in memory of Jareldean Morgan, “Outstanding 4-H Member", and the “I Dare You” Award. Another member of Cottonwood Club, Kenny Benson, received an “Animal Sciences Medal”, “Farmer’s National Bank Beef Award”, “Senior Animal Care Award” ($175), and his record was selected for “State” in Animal Sciences. His brother Michael received a Plants and Soils Medal.

Other “Outstanding 4-H Members” were Kayla Gerken, and Bryce Young of the Genesee Hillbillies. Kayla’s brother Matthew won a “Food, Nutrition and Health Blue Award”. The “Junior Animal Care Award” ($100 Savings Bond) went to Emelia Peterson of the Genesee Hillbillies. Dustin Dirks also of Genesee Hillbillies won the “Illinois Electrification Council Award”.

The “Farmer’s National Bank Sheep Award went to Kaleb Medema of the Leon Wide Awakes and he also received an “Animal Sciences Blue Award. The “Farmer’s National Bank Swine Award” went to Karl Miller of the Leon Stickers. He also received an “Animal Sciences Medal” and was a Communication Contest winner. Tobi Drilling of the Hume Happy Hustlers won “Food, Nutrition, and Health Medal” and “Mechanics and Technology Blue Award”. The Abbie Huizenga Memorial Jr. Communicator Award winner was Patricia Lawrenz.

Adult individual awards were also given out. Janet Arnold of the Genesee Hillbillies received an Alumni Award. Terry Gerken, Mary Jane VenHuizen, and Mark VonHolten received V.I.P Awards.

by Barb Benson, theCity1.com
October 29, 2003