Local 4-H volunteers recognized for service to 4-H in Illinois
The Illinois 4-H Foundation annually recognizes 4-H volunteers for exemplary service, and this year, six volunteers from the Chicago suburbs were inducted into the Illinois 4-H Hall of Fame.
DuPage County
Todd Gordon of Lombard has been the 4-H Beekeeping SPIN (special interest) Club leader for the past four years in DuPage County.
"He helps youth, and the community, understand the importance of honeybees and that they are necessary to our food chain," said Patricia Luster, 4-H program coordinator, DuPage County. "He provides a way for suburban youth to learn about agriculture and the environment. We are grateful to have him as a volunteer, as he has provided a newfound enthusiasm for bees and beekeeping in our county."
Gordon has provided all of the equipment and lesson plans for more than 30 youth in the program, and he has impacted the parents and others as well. It is common for the parents to ask to stay during the lessons because they now are interested in starting hives with their children at their own homes, Luster added.
Kane County
Patricia Bunge of St. Charles is a longtime supporter of 4-H and University of Illinois Extension. She spent 11 years as a 4-H member and has been a volunteer in Kane County for 21 years.
"We appreciate Pat's unbiased horse and equestrian knowledge and her longtime commitment to helping youth," said Doris Braddock, 4-H program coordinator, Kane County. "Despite her busy schedule, she can be called upon at any time to lend a hand to the 4-H program. She is truly an asset to Kane County 4-H."
Over the years, Bunge has served as a club leader and a project leader, and she currently serves as a member of the Kane County 4-H Horse Committee, chairs the Kane County Fair Committee, and serves as a superintendent at the annual fair, where she prepares the show ring each year at no cost.
Kendall County
Diane Morris of Big Rock has volunteered with Illinois 4-H for nearly 40 years. She served as a longtime Kendall County 4-H Club leader and as president of the Northern Illinois 4-H Camp Association, as well as secretary, treasurer, and currently executive director of the Kendall County 4-H Foundation.
"For decades, Diane has been a dedicated, driven volunteer, supporting Kendall County 4-H and Illinois 4-H, and inspiring others to do the same," said Kim Eisnaugle, 4-H Program Coordinator, Kendall County. "She truly has impacted thousands of youth through her work at the local, regional and state levels."
Morris is instrumental in the annual pork chop fundraiser - sponsored by the local Friends of Extension and 4-H Foundation groups - which, each year, raises thousands of dollars for University of Illinois Extension of Kendall County. Under her leadership, the local 4-H Foundation also raised funds and built Smith 4-H Hall on the Kendall County Fairgrounds in 1996, providing the main structure for the county fairgrounds.
Lake County
Karen Dietrich of Lake Villa has been involved with the 4-H program in Lake County for 30 years. She has been the organizational leader of the Chain O' Lakes 4-H Club for the entire time. The club currently has more than 20 members and its focus is on public speaking, horse projects, officer training, goats, and building the members' leadership skills. She also has chaired many of the Lake County 4-H Committees like the horse committee, officer training, public speaking, and 4-H Records for several years. She focuses on building members with good speaking skills, strong leadership skills and emphasizes the importance of working as a team. She also concentrates on making the 4-H members aware of the importance of giving back to the community, be it assistance at the forest preserves, gardening at the wetlands, planting flowers at the local library, or collecting for the food pantries.
McHenry County
Linda Bragg of Crystal Lake has been an invaluable volunteer to the McHenry County 4-H program for over 15 years. She served as club leader of Community Cloverleaves before becoming one of the founding leaders of Conservation SPIN Club. She has also served as sewing superintendent, and is currently the horticulture superintendent. She also judges in all Natural Resource project areas. She has worked tirelessly to support the 4-H program by serving on the Unit 3 Extension Council and currently as a director on the McHenry County 4-H Youth Foundation. Recently retired as a high school science teacher, Bragg with her husband, Jack, continue to provide support to the 4-H youth as mentors in the natural resource areas.
Will County
John Zalanka of Crest Hill retired as youth development educator in Will County in 2008. His programs attracted 24 4-H Clubs and more than 400 4-H members with large state fair outcomes. He was especially active in conservation areas in dozens of classrooms. On his watch, a team of Will County 4-H'ers captured the State Forestry Contest title in 2006, and the elusive National Invitational Forestry Contest Championship in 2007. He empowered leaders, sat on Camp Shaw-Waw-Naw-See and Francis Field Boards and hosted annual conservation workshops. After retiring, he became project judge in 4-H shows, and scored year-end Record Books. Currently, he serves the Kiwanis Club of Joliet as president, improving the world one child at a time. He is board secretary of the Community Services Council and Project Acclaim-honoring civic pride (grass-roots recognition organization), and chairman of Neighborhood Hero committee for curb appeal awards.
Gordon, Bunge, Morris, Dietrich, Bragg and Zalanka were among the 71 new members celebrated at the Illinois 4-H Hall of Fame event Aug. 12 at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield.
"These longtime volunteers fully embody what 4-H strives to instill in youth," said Angie Barnard, executive director of the Illinois 4-H Foundation. "They are caring, dedicated, generous leaders, and the Illinois 4-H Foundation is extremely proud to be able to provide this honor to each and every one of them to thank them for their service to this wonderful organization."
The Illinois 4-H Foundation established the statewide Hall of Fame in 2004 to honor and celebrate extraordinary 4-H alumni, volunteers, and former 4-H staff. Each inductee received a commemorative Hall of Fame medallion.
"As a result of these volunteers' years of service and leadership to Illinois 4-H," Barnard said, "the program they love will continue to create wonderful opportunities for the young people whose lives it touches."
For information about the award, visit 4hfoundation.illinois.edu/awards.
The Illinois 4-H Foundation raises private funds that are invested in Illinois 4-H programs that provide meaningful, positive development experiences for Illinois youth to develop leadership, citizenship, and life skills. To learn more, visit www.4hfoundation.illinois.edu.
Illinois 4-H helps youth learn skills for living. University of Illinois Extension provides 4-H programs in every county in Illinois. Illinois 4-H aims to impact the lives of 200,000 youth each year through sustained learning clubs and groups and short-term programming.
The Illinois 4-H Foundation's mission is to build relationship to generate financial resources for Illinois 4-H. Funding from individual donors, our Illinois 4-H Project Partners, companies, and friends of Illinois 4-H help the Foundation support statewide programming initiatives along with scholarships, assistance to National events, grant opportunities, Teens as Teachers and assists us in filling funding gaps.