BATON ROUGE, La. – Some north Louisiana 4-H members had never been to New Orleans, but as winners of the Louisiana 4-H educational award they explored sights in the “Big Easy” and Baton Rouge as a reward for their hard work.
During their time in New Orleans, they toured the Mercedes Benz Superdome and Smoothie King Arena. They also visited the World War II Museum and Café Reconcile, said LSU AgCenter youth development instructor Tanya Giroir.
“In Baton Rouge, the 18 winners toured the LSU Rural Life Museum and Tiger Stadium, where they each got to touch the famous ‘WIN’ bar,” she said.
Winners of this year’s 4-H Achievement Award were seventh- and eighth-grade students from across the state, she said.
The trip would not have been possible without the help of LSU AgCenter agents and volunteers, she said.
“The portfolios submitted by our winners were judged on leadership, volunteer work, service projects and their subject matter project records work,” Giroir said.
Also making the trip possible were DEMCO Dixie Electric Membership Corp, which sponsored the group’s Sunday dinner on LSU Campus and Entergy New Orleans Corporation, which sponsored the group’s lunch in New Orleans at Café Reconcile, a restaurant that provides a program for at-risk youth.
The trip concluded with an awards luncheon at The Club at LSU Union Square on the Baton Rouge campus.
4-H’ers who attended the trip were Kody Arton, Ali’x Migues and Victoria Watson, Iberia Parish; Lexi Broussard and Peyton Duhon, Vermilion Parish; Lillie Christaw and Rachel Irvin, Caddo Parish; Westin Cobb and Josie Purvis, Livingston Parish; Georgie Mae Harris and Alex Meche, St. Martin Parish; Nydia Cooper, St. James Parish; Travis Cross, Claiborne Parish; Gabrielle Fontenot, Evangeline Parish; Megan Hamilton and Aiyana Thompson, Lafayette Parish; Caroline Whisonant, Winn Parish and Reed Wilson, Concordia Parish.
Other trip sponsors included the LSU AgCenter, LSU Rural Life Museum, Staybridge Suites, Café Reconcile, the Mercedes Benz Superdome, LSU Athletic Department, the Louisiana 4‑H Foundation and the 4‑H State Office.
Johnny Morgan