Outstanding project awards presented to 27

Butler County 4-H members and volunteers were recognized Monday at the organization’s annual achievement banquet at the General Butler Vagabonds Center in Lyndora.

Jacob Kennedy of Valencia and Laurel Johnson of Chicora were named the Outstanding Intermediate and Senior 4-H’ers, respectively.

Jacob is the 13-year-old son of John and Valerie Kennedy, and Johnson is the 19-year-old daughter of Gary and Sue Johnson.

Care Chiropractic of Renfrew, owned by Dr. Stuart and Dawn Surkosky, was named the Friend of 4-H, an award given to a community member or business that supports 4-H.

The Surkoskys and their staff coordinate the annual community event, Kids Day America, and chose 4-H as the 2013 beneficiary of the nearly $10,000 it raised.

Twenty-seven members received outstanding project awards. They were:

• Beef, junior — Ben Drake

• Beef, intermediate — Hannah Govan

• Beef, senior — Nataleigh Kerr

• Dairy, junior — Kylie Burke

• Dairy, intermediate — Jacob Kennedy

• Dairy, senior — Trisha Covert

• Environmental and earth science, junior — Leah Barclay

• Environmental and earth science, intermediate — Anna Judd

• Goats, junior — Melina Bryner

• Goats, intermediate — Ashley Frye

• Horse, senior — Rachel Mogielski

• Leisure education, junior — Mark Edinboro

• Leisure education, intermediate — Larissa Edinboro

• Leisure education, senior — Kenneth Edinboro

• Leisure education other, junior — Kaitlin Eichenlaub

• Rabbits, junior — Andrew Costel

• Rabbits, intermediate — Shirlann Harmon

• Rabbits, senior — Elizabeth Williamson

• Sheep, junior — Madilynn Kerr

• Sheep, intermediate — Aaron Drake

• Sheep, senior — Paul Drake

• Swine, junior — Tyler Young

• Swine, intermediate — Mitchell Kerr

• Swine, senior — Joshua Drake

• Textile science, junior — Caroline Judd

4 Textile science, intermediate — Elizabeth Barclay

4 Textile science, senior — Wesley McCurdy.

AgChoice Farm Credit and the Pomona Grange also sponsored project awards, and Butler County Farm Bureau sponsored the Blue Ribbon Club award that went to the Circle Round Club.

Four individual 4-H’ers put together scrapbooks, and first place was Brooklyn Peters, second was Larissa Edinboro, third was Angela Kelley and fourth was Shirlann Harmon.

Six clubs — Circle Round, West Sunbury Wranglers, Town and Country Kids, Green Meadows, Caprine Connection and the Dairy Club — also submitted club scrapbooks.

Butler County has more than 70 volunteers who are club leaders and helpers. Those reaching milestones were recognized.

First-year leaders were Tami Cavy, Melisa Costel, Beth Flick, Ellen Fogel, Colleen Mack, Karla McEachin, Joann Randolph, Richard Vaerewyck and Robin Van Dyke. Fifth-year leaders were Lori Dunlap, Thomas Hornyak, Lona Peters and Bryan Rager.

Celebrating 10 years as a leader was Gerry Vaerewyck; Esther Seebacher was 15 years; and George Dean was 30 years.

The county has more than 330 4-H members in nearly 30 clubs and afterschool programs.