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Groundbreaking!
The Sussex County 4-H Educational Exhibit Hall Committee, Inc. (a group of dedicated 4-H volunteers) held a groundbreaking ceremony celebrating the construction of a 4-H Exhibit Hall on the grounds of the NJ State Fair/Sussex County Farm and Horse Show (Augusta, NJ). The building will display projects and exhibits by Sussex County 4-H clubs. Additionally it will host educational demonstrations and presentations at the Bill Bennett Learning Center by 4-H members, volunteers and others during the fair.
The exhibit hall will be named in honor of Phoebe and Ralph Shotwell, two life-time supporters of the Sussex County 4-H program. Phoebe Shotwell leads a 4-H cooking club, Yeastie Beasties and has been a 4-H volunteer leader for over fifty-five years. Through their dedication to the Sussex 4-H program it is estimated the Shotwells have impacted over 3,000 county youth over the years.
The 4-H program in Sussex County has grown to more than 700 members participating in 63 clubs. Size constraints have limited the ability of 4-H Clubs to exhibit at the fair. Exhibit Hall Committee Chair Neil Flaherty notes, “This building will give more 4-H clubs, and their members, the opportunity to share what they have learned with the public. Everybody benefits from this experience.”
In addition to the 10 day Fair, the building will be available for use by 4-H clubs for clinics, shows, and other educational programming. The 4-H Exhibit Hall will also be available to local organizations for their functions, arranged through the NJ State Fair.
Costs for the building are projected to be $175,000. The 4-H Exhibit Hall Committee has already sponsored fundraising events and received private donations in support of the project. At the groundbreaking, the Committee announced that they had received over $80,000 in pledges and donations. It will be hosting fundraising events and seeking additional donations in the months ahead.
TM Brennan Contractors, Inc. plans to complete the 4,800 sq. ft. building by Mid-July, in time for a grand opening prior to the 2007 NJ State Fair/Sussex County Farm and Horse Show in August.
