By Geralyn Sachs
mail@floridanewsline.com

St. Johns County 4-H clubs joined the national 4-H “Grow True Leaders” campaign by conducting their Splash of Service projects through the county in April. The 4-H Splash of Service effort was kicked off with a proclamation by the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners on April 5, when Commissioner Jeb Smith presented the proclamation to 4-H staff, volunteers and youth.

Following are some of the projects tackled by 4-H youth as part of the Splash of Service initiative:

Dreamcatcher 4-H Club members organized the “Saddle Up For Seamark” project. Seamark Ranch, a group children’s home, offers a therapeutic and recreational equestrian program for youth. St Johns County 4-H horse project members collected tack items and western show clothing to donate to the Seamark Ranch Equestrian Program. The Farm Life 4-H Club donated money for equine programs at the ranch.

The Clever Clovers 4-H Club met at Mickler’s Landing in Ponte Vedra for a beach clean-up, lesson about microplastics and great afternoon of friendship and beach fun.

The 4-H Aerospace Club served our country’s veterans at the Clyde E. Lassen State Veterans Nursing Home by entertaining them with an air rocket launch event. Club members together with Civil Air Patrol cadets helped the veterans build the rockets with large pieces of card stock, various tape and foam noses. Once the rockets were built, everyone went outside for a compressed air launch.

The 4-H Busy Bee Sewing Club made 25 pillowcases for clients of Betty Griffin House and presented them to Frances Case, representative of Betty Griffin House, at their April meeting.

The Gourmet Gang 4-H Club members assisted with Dining with Dignity in downtown St. Augustine. The 4-H members joined local faith-based and social service agencies whose mission is to reach out to the homeless to serve food and smiles to the local needy. Meals are served nightly at 6 p.m. in the parking lot on the corner of Bridge and Granada Streets in downtown St. Augustine.

The Buds and Blossoms 4-H Club put together an educational display about the life cycle of the butterfly and butterfly friendly plants. The display included hatching Monarch butterflies and an assortment of butterfly habitat friendly plants.

The Crazy Comets Science 4-H Club members took part in helping with the Special Olympics activities at Atlantic Coast High School. Club members also served as greeters and plant carriers at the Heart of Jacksonville African Violet Show.

The Marine Ecology 4-H Club collected an assortment of marine life related books for their Splash of Service project. In April, the 4-H club members delivered and passed out the books at the local Boys and Girls Club. In addition to giving out the books, the 4-H members played Estuary Bingo with the afterschool youth.

4-H and all programs and related activities sponsored for, or assisted by, St. Johns County/University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences are open to all persons with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. 4-H is a community of young people across America learning leadership, citizenship and life skills. Contact Geralyn Sachs at fish12@ufl.edu for more information.

Geralyn Sachs is the UF/IFAS/Extension/St. Johns County Extension Agent.

CUTLINE

Photo courtesy Geralyn Sachs

4-H Busy Bee Sewing Club made 25 pillowcases for clients of Betty Griffin House and presented them to Frances Case at their April meeting.

 

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