Annual 4-H Awards Banquet held

The 21th Annual 4-H Awards and Recognition Program was held Tuesday, May 13, 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 Ardhyn Parks, Sacred Heart High School. Members who received the Jr. Award of Excellence were Amanda Gayle Bergeron, Sacred Heart High School; Elayne Elanaggar, Bayou Chicot Elementary School; and Reid Eastin and Sean Eastin, Ville Platte High 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 Gage Ardoin, Mamou High School; Randall Bellon, Basile High School; Brad Fontenot, Sacred Heart High School; Heather Fontenot, Sacred Heart High School; Jonathon Fontenot, Sacred Heart High School; Jacob Fruge, Mamou High School; Chesley Hebert, Basile High School; Olivia LaHaye, Sacerd Heart High School; Grant Manuel, Sacred Heart High School; Michael Manuel, Ville Platte High School; Seth Manuel, Sacred Heart High School; Elizabeth Ortego, Basile High School; Ardhyn Parks, Sacred Heart High School; Sara Richard, Mamou High School; Lauren Veillon, Basile High School; and Savannah Watts, Sacred Heart High School.
State scholarships were awarded to several senior 4-H’ers who participated in the state 4-H scholarship program. Ardhyn Parks, Sacred Heart High School, received the $100 Louisiana 4-H Foundation Parish Scholarship for Senior 4-H Achievement, as well as the Dr. and Mrs. Edward Gassie 4-H Foundation Scholarship in the amount of $500.
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 Ardyn Parks, Sacred Heart High School, who received a $300 scholarship; Elizabeth Ortego, Basile High School, and RJ Bellon, Basile High School, who each received a $250 scholarship; and Olivia LaHaye, Sacred Heart High School, and Tanner Gage Ardoin, Mamou High School, who each received a $100 scholarship.
The state 4-H Portfolio Contest is an annual state-wide 4-H event. The club member 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 Annabeth Briley, Sacred Heart Elementary 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 three participants in the State 4-H Ambassador Contest on the parish and state levels. They were: Silas Fontenot, Sacred Heart Elementary School, Division I State Seafood Ambassador Contest, second place; Karina Parks, Sacred Heart Elementary School, Division I State Sugar Ambassador Contest, red ribbon; and Gabrielle Fontenot, Sacred Heart Elementary School, Division II State Seafood Ambassador Contest, blue ribbon.
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: Lori Guillory, Mamou Lower Elementary School, one year; Michael Fontenot, Mamou Lower Elementary School, one year; Katelyn Meche, James Stephens Montessori, one year; Dana Blood, Pine Prairie High School, one year; Blair Pucheu, Sacred Heart Elementary School (seventh-eighth grades), one year; Chris Briley, Ville Platte High School (fifth-sixth grades), one year; Jan Fontenot, Sacred Heart Elementary School (fourth-sixth grade), two years; David Brou, Sacred Heart Elementary School (fourth-sixth grade), two years; Eric Fontenot, Vidrine Elementary School (sixth-eighth grades), two years; Nina Perron, Good Shepherd Home School Club, two years; Jennifer Barbier, Chataignier Elementary School, three years; Brooke LaFleur, Pine Prairie Elementary School, three years; Kim Pucheu, Sacred Heart Elementary School (fourth-sixth grades), three years; Dana Broussard, Sacred Heart High School, three years; Lorraine Doucet, Vidrine Elementary School (fourth-fifth grades), three years; Mitzi McDaniel, Evangeline Central, three years; Rachel Nelson, WW Stewart Elementary School (fourth grade), 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: Kimberly Deville, Bayou Chicot Elementary School (fourth-sixth and seventh-eight grades and junior leadership), five years; Kim Manuel, Chataignier Elementary School (fourth-eighth grades), five years; and Christina LeJeune, Mamou High School (ninth-12th grades), five years.
Leaders receiving the gold clover with 10 to 14 years of service were: Natalie Bertrand, Basile Elementary School (fourth-sixth grades), 11 years; Leah Hollier, Ville Platte High School (seventh-12th grades), 11 years; Becky Arnaud, Mamou Upper Elementary School, 12 years; and Susan Bellon, Basile High School (seventh-12th grades), 15 years.
The Outstanding Business Supporter Award was presented to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, with Sgt. Scott Fontenot present to accept the award.
The Outstanding Volunteer Leader for Evangeline Parish was presented to Dana Broussard with the Sacred Heart High School club.
The Outstanding 4-H Member Award was presented to Ardhyn Parks, a senior at Sacred Heart 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 recipients.
Sponsors for this annual awards program were: the Bonnes Nouvelles, Citizens Bank, Evangeline Parish Farm Bureau, Rick’s RV Sales, Thrifty Way Pharmacy and Vidrine Community Clinic.