‘It makes me proud to watch all of them grow’
Clubs, participants, and volunteers rewarded at Brown County 4-H award celebration.
Alyssa Kelton (right) helps her daughters Lila and Mara (left and middle) with their bingo cards. Her children's interactions with 4-H members originally brought Allysa Kelton into the organization. She was given the National 4-H Salute to Excellence award for her work in establishing the North-west Wildflowers and bolstering rabbit programs across Brown County 4-H.
Paige Green held her trophy with pride as she won the Leadership award from Brown County 4-H Sunday. Green said it was a bittersweet experience, as this was her last year in 4-H.
Alyssa Kelton (right) helps her daughters Lila and Mara (left and middle) with their bingo cards. Her children's interactions with 4-H members originally brought Allysa Kelton into the organization. She was given the National 4-H Salute to Excellence award for her work in establishing the North-west Wildflowers and bolstering rabbit programs across Brown County 4-H.
Paige Green held her trophy with pride as she won the Leadership award from Brown County 4-H Sunday. Green said it was a bittersweet experience, as this was her last year in 4-H.
Trending
SLEEPY EYE -- Brown County 4-H celebrated the hard work put in by its clubs, participants, and volunteers over the past year during the award celebration on Sunday.
Before the awards were given out, Brown County 4-H took the opportunity to engage some of the kids and teens in a game. Participants were given a bingo card. Each square on the bingo card had a different 4-H role. This included a member from each club in Brown County 4-H, volunteers, committee members, and higher-ups like the Federation President and Extension Educator. By competing to get a bingo, 4-H youth were encouraged to spread their wings and make connections with 4-H members in several roles and from several places.
The National 4-H Salute to Excellence Award went to third-year volunteer Allysa Kelton of the North-west Wildflowers. Kelton was one of two volunteers across the state of Minnesota to receive this award. Kelton was not a 4-H kid growing up, but moving to Minnesota quickly got her involved.
"When we moved to Minnesota, our oldest daughter was in kindergarten," she said. "She made some friends who were also in 4-H, and we got involved through her friendships."
For the first year and a half, the Keltons lived in the Sleepy Eye and participated in the Sleepy Eye Wide Awakes. After moving away, they no longer lived in an area with an active 4-H club. Kelton said she sprung into action to found a club for her new community.
"When we moved and bought a little hobby farm up by Morgan, there was no club up there," she said. My husband and I started the North-west Wildflowers 4-H club last year. There are kids in the Cedar Mountain school district who are in Brown County like us."
Kelton said the group's main focus has been rabbits. She is also the rabbit superintendent for the Brown County Fair, working with kids and rabbits across all the different clubs in 4-H. For Kelton, it means everything she can provide this experience for the Cedar Mountain area youth.
"It feels really good," she said. "It’s one thing to be proud of your own kids when they have all these achievements. To have kids where you are the one who introduced them to 4-H and projects. It’s amazing to be able to see them go from zero to 100 in such a short amount of time. It makes me proud to watch all of them grow, become successful, and do whatever they want to do."
Julie Hellendrung and Rachel Kucera from Golden Rose Riders were recognized for their volunteer efforts with the Northern Lights Minnesota 4-H award. The pair are co-leaders of the club. The award recognizes a program they have run for four years, where riders provide education about horses while community members get to experience horse riding in a controlled environment. The program focuses on bringing 4-H and horse experience to youth with disabilities.
Out of five nominees, the Comfrey Comets won the award for Club of the Year. They had the highest percentage of county-wide leaders, highest food stand participation, and highest record-keeping participation. The Crazy Club award went to the Golden Rose Riders. The riders held a Halloween Petting Zoo at nursing homes in their area, putting their animal-rearing skills to use for elderly community members.
Closing out the show was the individual awards. Aiden Krzmarick from Sleepy Eye Wide Awakes and Elsie Trebesch from Burnstown Brookville won the Citizenship and Junior Leadership awards respectively.
In her final year as a 4-H member, Paige Green of the Comfrey Comets won the Leadership Award. Green said it took a lot of hard work and determination to be a leader in her 4-H club.
"You have to show up to every meeting," she said. "When you’re out in the public, you have to be aware of what you’re doing and who you’re around because everybody sees you."
In her last year, Green's main roles in 4-H were as a Federation President and Active Ambassador member. She said the one thing she won’t miss about 4-H is the early days and long nights her responsibilities made necessary.
For plans after 4-H, she is currently attending Iowa Lakes Community College for Cosmetology. Green said the memories she made during her time as a 4-H member and leader are what she will miss the most as she embarks on the next chapter of her life.