Kane 4-H youth to keep it green with environmental focus

4-H youth from across the nation will be "Keeping It Green" as they celebrate 2008 National 4-H Week Oct. 5-11 by raising awareness about environmental issues and initiating environmental projects that make a positive difference in their communities.

Kane County 4-H members ask their community to get ready for the challenge by joining 4-H'ers and their families at their 4-H Fun Night from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7 at the Kane County Fairgrounds, off Randall Road in St. Charles. It will be held in the 4-H/Industrial Building on the fairgrounds; this building is located closest to Randall Road on the east side of the fairgrounds.

4-H Fun Night offers youth, ages 5-18, the opportunity to participate in carnival-type booths and a chance to win small prizes along with the opportunity to learn more about the 4-H program in Kane County.

Throughout National 4-H Week and the year, 4-H'ers solve problems in their communities, raise awareness about environmental issues, and make a difference for their futures in the spirit of 4-H's vision to create a world in which youth and adults learn, grow, and work together as catalysts for positive change. In Kane County, 550 4-H members and 400 volunteers are actively involved in 4H.

"I had no idea that being in 4-H would open so many doors; enriching my life in numerous ways and giving me the vast amount of experiences that I have enjoyed and shared with my family and friends." said Kane County 4-H member Sally Gorenz.

You can join the 4-H community today. To learn how to become a 4-H member or volunteer leader in Kane County, e-mail Doris Braddock, 4-H Community Worker, University of Illinois Extension-Kane County, at dbraddoc@illinois.edu or call (630) 584-6166.

4-H is a community of 6 million young people across America learning leadership, citizenship and life skills. National 4-H Headquarters, which operates out of the United States Department of Agriculture, is the federal partner of 4-H programs implemented by the Cooperative Extension System of the nation's 106 land-grant colleges and universities and in local communities through 3,150 county Cooperative Extension offices. Learn more about the 4-H adventure at 4-H.org.