La Crosse County 4-H leaders and supporters were honored for their service to youth at the annual 4-H Parents and Leaders Christmas Party and Recognition Night held Dec. 4 at the Onalaska American Legion.

Five outstanding 4-H volunteer leaders were named as a 2008 La Crosse County 4-H Honor Leader at the event. The Honor Leaders are nominated and selected by their peers in the 4-H program and were recognized with an engraved silver tray.

Honored for their work in local and county 4-H activities were: Todd & the late Nancy Collins, Striped Strivers 4-H, Bangor, Randy & Linda Holthaus, Country Lanes 4-H, Bangor, and Joanne Hutson, St. Joe’s Ridge Runners 4-H, West Salem.

4-H leaders with 5, 10 and 20 or more years of service to 4-H also were given special awards, certificates, and gifts. There are more than 350 adult volunteers in the La Crosse County 4-H program who give of their time and talents to share with youth.

The 4-H Leaders Executive Board oversees the county 4-H program and the 2009 Executive Board was installed during the program. The 2009 4-H Executive Board officers are: President Dean Bloch, Rockland; Vice President Linda Merten, Onalaska; Secretary Julie Nuttleman, West Salem; and Treasurer Kris Terpstra, La Crosse.

The six representatives serving on the Executive Board are: Bangor District, Richard Hanson; Holmen/Mindoro District, Jodi Anderson; La Crosse/Onalaska District, Linda Trautmann; West Salem District, Renee Scafe; and the two at-large representatives, Peg Jerome, La Crosse, and Kelly Wilde, Onalaska. Marla Stello, La Crosse serves as the representative to the Agricultural Society, and Terry Jerome, La Crosse will serve as past-president on the 2009 Board.

In addition to honoring 4-H leaders, area individuals or businesses are honored at the event each year for their contributions to 4-H. This year Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Great Lakes Cheese and Mark Miller of Hansen’s IGA were honored as 2008 “Friends of 4-H.”