“I was nominated by our Whiteside County Extension Office…,” explained LuEllen Lee of Morrison, IL, in regard to her recent induction into the Illinois 4-H Hall of Fame.
This year, 74 new members were inducted into the Illinois 4-H Hall of Fame, the largest inductee class to date. Two were inducted from the Carroll-Lee-Whiteside Extension Unit, Bryan Hollewell, Carroll County, and LuEllen Lee, Whiteside County.
Illinois 4-H Hall of Fame inductees–4-H alumni, volunteers, and former 4-H staff–have a track record of exemplary service to 4-H or outstanding career and community achievement. They were nominated by either county University of Illinois Extension staff or by the Illinois 4-H Foundation Board.
In mid-May 2016, Lee received a letter from the Illinois 4-H Foundation congratulating her on being selected into the Hall of Fame. It invited her to save the date for the Illinois 4-H Family Event on the second Saturday of the Illinois State Fair. A formal invitation followed in July.
This year celebrated the 12-year anniversary of the award, said Angie Barnard, Director of the Illinois 4-H Foundation. The ceremony was held Saturday, August 20, in the Orr Building on the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Inductees in attendance were recognized as a group during the program and received their medallion.
“These long-time volunteers fully embody what 4-H strives to instill in youth,” Barnard said. “They are caring, dedicated, generous leaders, and the Illinois 4-H Foundation is extremely proud to be able to provide this honor to each and every one of them, to thank them for their service to this wonderful organization.”