The 4-H Foundation of Sonoma County had their 7^th annual BBQ fundraiser at Sarales’s Vineyard and Richard’s Grove on September 17^th.  It was another beautiful day in the Russian River Valley, and another record breaking fundraiser for the Foundation.  With more than 600 in attendance, and grossing over $100,000, the BBQ proved once again that community support for the 4-H program in Sonoma County is as strong as ever.

This year’s theme was “Happiness is….Head, Hands, Heart,, and Health.” The event showcased the apple heritage of the county, and included an antique apple delivery truck festooned with cases of apples, a Charles Shultz statue of Lucy holding her blue ribbon apple pie, an “appletini” signature drink, and numerous apple varieties to sample from Walker Apple Farms. Dinner was delicious with BBQ chicken and tri-tip. Dessert was apple crisp courtesy of the Piner High School Culinary program, topped with Screamin’ Mimi’s vanilla ice cream.

Sonoma county 4H Color Guard

A 4-H horse color guard presented the flags and national anthem before the live auction kicked into high gear. New this year was the Golden Ticket Lottery, with a 1-in-60 chance to win a live auction item of your choice before the bidding started. Tickets sold out quickly. Paddles were raising quickly for exclusive dinners, trips to Disneyland and Alaska, and even a minature-donkey!

Happy Sonoma county 4H youth

The Fund-A-Need Scholarship drive raised over $8000 this year. This year’s Shining Star award was presented to foundation director Sam McMillan, who has devoted countless hours of service to foundation and 4-H program.  The 4-H Alumni Award was presented to Jennifer Bice, owner of Redwood Hill Farms, a nationally acclaimed goat dairy in Sonoma County that started as a 4-H project over 40 years ago.  Joseph Stefenoni, a recent 4-H graduate who is currently attending college, spoke to the dinner audience about his 4-H experience and the difference it has made in his life. When asked about the success of the event, Executive Director Susan Hansen commented  “We may be faced with challenging economic times, but the success of the BBQ just shows you that our community has its priorities straight: always support youth development, because our future depends on it.”

Jennifer Lynn Bice, a former 4-H Club member hailed as a pioneer in California’s artisan cheese movement, is the 2011 recipient of the 4-H Alumni Recognition Award, presented by the 4-H Foundation of Sonoma County.  Jennifer is the owner of Sebastopol’s Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery, an internationally recognized cheese company that started as a 4-H project more than 40 years ago. The 4-H Alumni Recognition Award, which will be presented to Jennifer at the 4-H Foundation’s benefit barbecue on Sept 17th, 2012.

A wealthy Santa Rosa widow who had a soft spot in her heart for 4-H kids, cows and agriculture left a sizeable bequest that launched the 4-H Foundation of Sonoma County.

 Today, the 4-H Foundation, a non-profit corporation established in 1982, is the community’s primary financial vehicle for supporting, promoting and enhancing the Sonoma County 4-H program.

It was the late Rosalie C. Rohr’s large and unexpected bequest in 1981 that brought community leaders together to begin discussions that would eventually lead to establishment of the 4-H Foundation of Sonoma County. Mrs. Rohr, the widow of Santa Rosa physician Dr. Silas M. Rohr, died on Nov. 15, 1978, at the age of 101 following a long and colorful life as a Santa Rosa socialite and philanthropist.

Throughout her life Mrs. Rohr supported agricultural youth organizations in Sonoma County. Additionally, she annually presented cash awards to the top Guernsey cattle breeders in the junior show at the Sonoma County Fair.

The Rohr estate, valued at $1 million at the time of her death, was left in a trust administered by Wells Fargo Bank. Mrs. Rohr’s will stipulated that the annual income from the trust was to be divided equally among four beneficiaries including the Sonoma County 4-H program. The other beneficiaries were the Sonoma County FFA program and two scholarships, one for Santa Rosa agriculture students at U.C. Davis and the other a music scholarship at the University of the Pacific in Stockton.

 It was estimated that the annual income from the Rohr trust would be $15,000 to  $17,000 for each of the four beneficiaries. Because the Sonoma County 4-H Foundation did not exist at the time, the money from the Rohr estate was to be held by the California 4-H Foundation, specifically to foster 4-H activities in Sonoma County.

4-H supporters believed Sonoma County 4-H needed its own foundation to receive the annual income from the Rohr trust and other bequests in the future. Members of the initial committee were Shirley Dempel, Harriet Polansky, Bob Sisson, Coston Crouse and Jim Groom. The committee met for more than a year to lay the groundwork for the foundation, which would became the legal entity to hold, administer and distribute charitable contributions directed to the Sonoma County 4-H program.

Mrs. Rohr’s generous bequest was the first but not the last to benefit Sonoma County 4-H Club members.

 The 4-H Foundation of Sonoma County is excited to announce that we recently received a generous donation of  $10,000 for scholarship funds from the Grainger Community Grant Program.  These scholarship funds will be available to Sonoma County residents pursuing a career in Agriculture or Agri-Business. They must be entering or attending a college or trade school. Wallace Wong, Branch Manager of the Grainger store in Rohnert Park, made the scholarship donation as part of Grainger’s commitment to the communities where it does business. He said many of Grainger’s customers in Sonoma County are wineries and agricultrural businesses. The scholarships are a way for Grainger to give back to the Sonoma County compainies that have been its loyal customers over the last four decades.

About W.W. Grainger, Inc.:
W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE: GWW), with 2008 sales of $6.9 billion, is the leading broad line supplier of facilities maintenance products serving businesses and institutions in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China and Panama. Through a highly integrated network including more than 600 branches, 18 distribution centers and multiple Web sites, Grainger’s employees help customers get the job done.

Sam McMillan, a longtime director of the 4-H Foundation of Sonoma County who quietly devotes hours and hours of his time to 4-H and the community, is the 2011 recipient of the Shining Star Award.

The Shining Star Award, given by the 4-H Foundation of Sonoma County, recognizes a person who has made significant contributions to the 4-H Foundation and 4-H Club work. Fellow directors on the 4-H Foundation board praise Sam as the Foundation’s unsung hero because he is always there to help and always gets the job done. He does it all without drawing attention to himself, quietly doing whatever needs to be done to advance 4-H Club work and assist the 4-H Foundation.

“Sam truly is the 4-H Foundation’s shining star. He has been a very dedicated, hard-working board member on the 4-H Foundation for many years. Sam can always be counted on to spend countless hours helping with our fund raising events and the management of the 4-H Center,”  said Shirley Dempel, a founding director of the 4-H Foundation and the recipient of  last year’s Shining Star Award.

Sam was a member of the 4-H and his children were 4-H Club members as well. He grew up on his family’s Santa Rosa poultry farm where he raised Hampshire sheep and Duroc hogs as his farm projects.  He has been a director of the 4-H Foundation since 1999.

The Shining Star Award will be presented at the 4-H Foundation’s annual barbecue on Sept. 17 at Richard’ Grove in Windsor.

Shirley Dempel’s life has been defined by 4-H. She was a 4-H Club member, a 4-H parent, 4-H leader and for the last 40 years an advocate and mentor for the 4-H program and 4-H club members. Shirley is one of the co-founders of the 4-H Foundation of Sonoma County and remains one of the 4-H program’s most ardent supporters. Following a large bequest to Sonoma County 4-H in 1981, Shirley determined the need to establish a non-profit foundation as the financial vehicle for supporting, promoting and enhancing the Sonoma County 4-H program. The 4-H Foundation was established in 1982 thanks to Shirley’s vision and hard work. Shirley was seated on the foundation’s board of directors and continues to serve as a director of the 4-H Foundation today.  She is the Foundation’s longest serving director and, of course, the foundation’s institutional memory. Shirley knows all and is regularly called upon for historic facts related to the 4-H foundation and 4-H Club work.

Shirley also played a key role in bringing forces together for the construction of the Sonoma County 4-H Center, which was completed in 1994. Shirley worked tirelessly with the late Hugh Codding, the legendary developer who donated the land for the 4-H Center and then agreed to have his crew build it at cost plus 5 percent. Shirley has donated thousands and thousands of hours to the betterment of 4-H in Sonoma County and we are all grateful for the contributions that have benefitted generations of 4-H’ers and their families.

Title: BBQ Fundraiser at Saralee’s Vineyard and Richards Grove
Location: Saralee’s Vineyard and Richards Grove 3-8pm

Description: Save the Date- Saturday, September 15, 2012

This BBQ will be a chance for all of the 4-H community to come together and raise money for the 4-H Foundation of Sonoma County. It will include a silent and live auction along with a BBQ and lots of fun activites!!  You won’t want to miss it!!

Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

Thank you for your continued support,

Susan Hansen
Executive Director
4-H Foundation of Sonoma County
(707) 239-3920

Start Time: 8:00
Date: 2010-03-27
End Time: 11:30

State Fashion Review 2009

In this project, you will learn how to construct your own clothing and other items.  Learn about sewing techniques, sewing tools, how to use a sewing machine and Serger, and how to select and use fabrics and patterns. You will experience a sense of mastery for knowing how to make high quality clothes and garments.  You will also learn about textiles, measuring, cool fashions, wardrobe wizardry, how to make a zippered pencil case, how to make a fanny pack or book bag, polar fleece construction, how to properly care for clothes, creative design, wise consumerism, accessorizing, recycling, how to start your own business, and a whole lot more.  Horse accessories include: hay bag, horse grooming mitt, and horse halter and bridle bag. You must complete a minimum of seven activities each in each level to complete the project, and you must participate in at least three additional learning experiences per level (such as giving a demonstration, participating in a fashion revue, going on a tour, or exhibiting at the fair)