EP 4-H Annual Awards Banquet held

The 22nd Annual 4-H Awards and Recognition Program was held Monday, May 11, at the Northside Civic Center. Evangeline Parish’s outstanding youth, organizational leaders, sponsors, parents and activity leaders in the 4-H program were recognized.
The 4-H Key Club Award is presented to a high school 4-H member and the Jr. Award of Excellence is presented to an elementary 4-H member. Only one-half of one percent of the parish 4-H enrollment can receive these awards. The 4-H’er must be an outstanding club member in their club and in the parish 4-H program. Receiving the Key Club Award was Heather Nicole Odom, Pine Prairie High School. Members who received the Jr. Award of Excellence were Gabrielle Elyse Fontenot, Sacred Heart Elementary School; and Silas Joseph Fontenot, Sacred Heart Elementary School.
The 4-H Honor Cord is presented to senior 4-H Club members across the state of Louisiana and was developed to recognize 4-H members who are graduating from high school and who have remained in 4-H throughout their high school careers. To receive this honor, the senior 4-H member must be an enrolled 4-H member in good standing, a graduating senior, must be enrolled in 4-H for at least three of their high school years and must have participated in at least one state-sponsored 4-H program in the last three years. Members who received honor cords were Kellie Barnes, Mamou High School; Connor Broussard, Basile High School; Kaleb Deshotel, Mamou High School; Darren Fontenot, Basile High School; Sean Fontenot, Sacred Heart High School; Wacen Fontenot, Sacred Heart High School; Makayla Hebert, Pine Prairie High School; Ashley Hesnor, Sacred Heart High School; Rebecca Hollier, Sacred Heart High School; Morgan Lavergne, Basile High School; Kelsey McDaniel, Sacred Heart High School; Maggie McGehee, Basile High School; Heather Odom, Pine Prairie High School; Torian Veillon, Sacred Heart High School; and Emily Vidrine, Sacred Heart High School.
State scholarships were awarded to several senior 4-H’ers who participated in the state 4-H scholarship program. Heather Odom, Pine Prairie High School, received the $100 Louisiana 4-H Foundation Parish Scholarship for Senior 4-H Achievement.
Several seniors received scholarships from the Scott Truck and Tractor Company, which offers scholarships to 4-H members in all 64 parishes in Louisiana. The recipients from Evangeline Parish were Heather Odom, Pine Prairie High School, and Kelsey McDaniel, Sacred Heart High School, who each received a $250 scholarship; Emily Vidrine, Sacred Heart High School, who received a $200 scholarship; and Darren Fontenot, Basile High School; Sean Fontenot, Sacred Heart High School; Kaleb Deshotels, Mamou High School; and Wacen Fontenot, Sacred Heart High School, who each received a $100 scholarship.
The state 4-H Portfolio Contest is an annual state-wide 4-H event. The clubemember keeps in-depth project records and completes the record keeping task. The objectives of this contest are to develop leadership abilities, build character, assume citizenship responsibilities, explore career opportunities, develop skills, knowledge and attitudes for lifelong use and to share knowledge gained with others. Evangeline Parish 4-H members receiving the Louisiana 4-H Record of Excellence Award were Camille Bergeron, Sacred Heart High School; and Catherine Bergeron, Sacred Heart Elementary School.
The 4-H Ambassador contests are designed for the education and enhancement of 4-H club members. Each ambassador program emphasizes specific Louisiana agricultural commodities, including egg, chicken, turkey, seafood and sugar. The purpose of this contest is to discover information about the production, food preparation and nutritive value, food safety, processing, and/or marketing of the Louisiana commodity. The Division I ambassador participant must present a two to three minute talk explaining the selected commodity and respond to questions from the judges. Divsion II ambassador participants must present a two to three minute talk, answer questions from the judges and submit an essay on the commodity. This year, Evangeline Parish had four participants in the state 4-H ambassador contest on the parish and state levels. They were: Tucker Fontenot, Sacred Heart Elementary School, Division I State Chicken Ambassador Contest, blue ribbon; Silas Fontenot, Sacred Heart Elementary School, Division I State Seafood Ambassador Contest, blue ribbon; Karina Parks, Sacred Heart Elementary School, Division II State Sugar Ambassador Contest, third place; and Gabrielle Fontenot, Sacred Heart Elementary School, Division II State Seafood Ambassador Contest, first place.
The backbone of the 4-H program is the volunteer 4-H leader. Leaders receiving the bronze clover with one to four years of service were: Melanie Delahoussaye, Sacred Heart Elementary School (fourth-sixth grade), one year; Jade Doucet, WW Stewart Elementary School (one year); Monique Fontenot, Evangeline Central, one year; Leah Johnson, Ville Platte Elementary School (fifth-sixth grades), one year; Sarah Johnson, Home School Club, one year; Chris Rider, Sacred Heart Elementary School (seventh-eighth grades), one year; Lori Guillory, Mamou Lower Elementary School, two years; Michael Fontenot, Mamou Lower Elementary School, two years; Dana Blood, Pine Prairie High School, two years; Jan Fontenot, Sacred Heart Elementary School (seventh-eighth grades), three years; David Brou, Sacred Heart Elementary School (fourth-sixth grades), three years; Eric Fontenot, Vidrine Elementary School (sixth-eighth grades), three years; Jennifer Barbier, Chataignier Elementary School, four years; Brooke LaFleur, Pine Prairie Elementary School, four years; Dana Broussard, Sacred Heart High School, four years; Lorraine Doucet, Vidrine Elementary School (fourth-fifth grades), four years; Kitty Ortego, Bayou Chicot Elementary School (fourth-sixth and seventh-eighth grades), four years; and Jessica Reed, Ville Platte Elementary School (fourth grade), four years.
Leaders receiving the silver clover with five to nine years of service were: Danica Prudhomme, James Stephens Montessori School, five years; Kimberly Deville, Bayou Chicot Elementary School (fourth-sixth grades, seventh-eght grades and junior leadership) six years; Kim Manuel, Chataignier Elementary school (fourth-eighth grades), six years; and Christina LeJeune, Mamou High School (ninth-12th grades), six years.
Leaders receiving the gold clover with 10 to 14 years of service were: Natalie Bertrand, Basile High School (fourth-sixth grades), 12 years; Leah Hollier, Ville Platte High School (seventh-eighth grades), 12 years; Becky Arnaud, Mamou Upper Elementary School, 13 years; and Susan Bellon, Basile High School (seventh-12th grades), 16 years.
The Outstanding Business Supporter Award was presented to Joe and Neva Ardoin, owners of Trophy Creations.
The Outstanding Volunteer Leader for Evangeline Parish was presented to Danica Prudhomme with the James Stephens Montessori School 4-H Club.
The Outstanding 4-H Member Award was presented to Heather Nicole Odom, a senior at Pine Prairie High School.
The Evangeline Parish Farm Bureau sponsored scholarships for the Outstanding 4-H members, and the Evangeline Parish Volunteers for Family and Community presented a clover pen set to the recipient.
Sponsors for this annual awards program were: Basile State Bank, Evangeline Parish Farm Bureau, Evangeline Floors and Interiors, Mikey’s Donut King, Paul’s Meat Market, Rick’s RV Sales Inc., Susan’s on Court, Vidrine Community Clinic LLC and Bob and Sarah Manuel.