Community Day to showcase 4-H clubs

By Elise Franco

efranco@vindy.com

Canfield

Mahoning County 4-H Community Day aims to showcase the best of some of the area’s top 4-H clubs.

Beth Stefura, director of the Ohio State University Extension in Canfield, said the Community Day, from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at Lord of Life Lutheran Church, 550 N. Broad St., was created to get the community more involved.

“I decided it would be a great opportunity to increase community awareness of Mahoning County 4-H,” she said. “It gives a nice opportunity for all the youths, advisers and clubs to come together and showcase their individual clubs.”

Stefura said this is the first year for the program, and so far, 17 of the county’s 77 clubs plan to set up displays Saturday.

“Each club will have a table where they can demonstrate and focus on their individual clubs,” she said.

Though many of the clubs involve animals, Stefura said some are focusing on more-urban activities such as gardening or finances.

“It’s not all rural,” she said. “That’s what so unique; there are so many projects.”

Richard Witzeman, adviser of the Steel Valley K-9s, said only 12 percent of 4-H clubs nationwide come from rural areas. Witzeman said Community Day could help educate adults and children, alike, about those changes.

“This community day is the opportunity for the kids to see other clubs and what they’re doing,” he said. “There’s a wide variety of projects. ... It exposes them to a lot of things the schools don’t.”

Witzeman, of Poland, said his club’s table will focus on canine education.

“We’ll stress education on agility and obedience and basic dog health,” he said. “We’re not just focused on the county level but focused on the state level as well. We want to educate kids and their parents about how we do it.”

Witzeman’s daughter Alison, 11, said she’s been in 4-H for six years, and it helped her train her 3-year-old Shetland sheepdog, Daisy.

“She started agility training when we first got her,” Alison said.

She said the skills and education she is getting in 4-H will benefit her in the future.

“I do think it will help me when I get older,” Alison said.

Bella Herdman, 10, of Poland, is a first-year member who said she joined so her 5-month-old golden retriever, Sammy, would be more obedient.

“I’m learning how to teach him tricks and good behavior,” she said. “He’s doing really good so far.”

Sam Detwiler, adviser of the Mill Creek My-T-Mites and Mill Creek Marksmen clubs, said Community Day could become significant in teaching kids what 4-H really does for the community.

“4-H is about youth development, and the important part is taking the kids and helping them to become better,” he said. “It prepares the future generation.”