Intermediate Weekend

Do you like quilting and scrapbooking?  How about LEGO and robots?  Register for our upcoming Intermediate Weekend for youth in grades 6-8!  You can choose from quilting and scrapbooking or LEGO robotics, and there will be lots of other fun stuff to do.
Download a registration form and brochure with more information here.

A holiday shopping reminder

As we begin this holiday season, we wanted to take an opportunity to tell everyone about a great way to support the 4-H Center that's free and easy.

When you sign up with iGive, you can shop at all the websites you usually use and a portion of your purchases is donated to us!  All you have to do is visit those websites from the iGive page (and be signed in of course).  If you've never done your holiday shopping online, this is a great excuse to give it a try, it's so convenient.  And the best part is, you can use this site to raise money for the 4-H Center all year long!

And that's not all.  You can also donate money to the 4-H Center by using iGive to search on the web.  That's right, all those web searches you do every day could be earning money for the Center!  Check out the top left corner of this blog, under the banner, for a special link to use your web searches as a fundraiser.

Free Choral Concert

Next week, the 4-H Center will host folks from all across the country for our annual Choral Elderhostel.  Participants will spend a week with us, rehearsing and polishing a choral program to be presented to the community on Friday, November 20 and everyone is invited!

The program will be held at St. Thomas Episcopal Church on Main Street in Abingdon at 7PM and is free and open to the public.  So come enjoy some great music on Friday night!

What: The Southwest Virginia 4-H Center's Elderhostel Choir, under the direction of Andrew Walker
When: Friday, November 20 at 7PM
Where: St. Thomas Episcopal Church
            124 E. Main Street
            Abingdon, VA 24210

Virginia Youth Storytelling Showcase

The first Virginia Youth Storytelling Showcase will take place at the Southwest Virginia 4-H Educational Center here in Abingdon, Virginia on January 23, 2010 in Ratliff Hall. Youth ages 9-19 will compete in this statewide contest for cash prizes and a chance to move on to the national contest held in Pigeon Forge, TN. Each state nominates up to five young tellers from that state to be considered as a candidate for the National Youth Storytelling Showcase. We are excited to be a part of this innovative program and hope you will join us. If not to compete, to listen to these talented young storytellers.

Contest will begin at 2pm with a meet and greet beginning at noon for all participants. (lunch will be provided) Pre-registration is required by January 15, 2010. You can download the forms here.

We have a winner!

Congratulations to Dr. Cathy Sutphin of Pulaski, VA, the winner of our Guitar Raffle!  Cathy's name was drawn from over 800 tickets to win the guitar signed by bluegrass legends including Ralph Stanley and Doc Watson. 

The drawing took place on October 19 as part of a celebration dinner that included a musical performance by Sandy Shortridge, the 4-H Agent who headed up the guitar project, and several of her 4-H members who assisted in gathering the autographs.  They played two great sets for the diners in attendance.

So the 4-H Center congratulates Cathy, and sends our thanks to Sandy and her dedicated 4-H members!

4-H bluegrass band performs

Cathy Sutphin, raffle winner

Come have dinner with us!

On Monday, October 19, we will draw the winning ticket for the big signed guitar raffle.  If you don't know already, the 4-H Center is raffling off a guitar signed by over 50 world-famous bluegrass artists.  Tickets cost only $5, so be sure to buy one if you haven't yet.

But that's not all!  We want everyone to join us for the big drawing...so we're having a dinner!  That's right, on October 19, everyone is invited for a special event where we'll serve hot dogs, baked beans, cole slaw and dessert for only $5 a plate.  There will be a special bluegrass performance by local 4-H members and a 50/50 drawing too!

So be sure to buy your raffle tickets, and join us on October 19.  Dinner service will begin at 6PM, with a musical performance at 6:30, 50/50 drawing at 7:30, and the big guitar raffle drawing at 7:45.

Halloween Weekend!

We're having a Halloween weekend camp!  Open to grades 6-8, this camp will feature a costume contest, storytelling, a trip to the Barter Theatre and much more.  The cost is $75 and there are scholarships available!  Click here to download a registration form with more information....but hurry, the registration deadline is October 19!