On March 21, National 4-H Council will hold its 8th annual Legacy Awards in Washington, D.C., honoring and celebrating True Leaders and 4-H Grown Alumni, and bringing together dignitaries, community leaders, entertainers and more to celebrate 4-H and its impact.Here are the honorees and special guests that will be in attendance:
This year, we are honored to have two proud supporters and advocates of 4-H to host this evening of youth empowerment. Anne Burrell and Lazarus Lynch are proud 4-H alumni from New York who are culinary experts in their own right.
Chef Anne Burrell is no stranger to the 4-H Legacy Awards, as she was the recipient of the Distinguished 4-H Alumni Medallion, coincidentally presented to her by Lazarus in 2015. Lazarus currently serves as National 4-H Council Youth Trustee.
The 4-H Youth in Action Awards recognizes four youth who exemplify what it means to be a True Leader, each impacting their communities through our four pillar areas: agriculture, citizenship, healthy living and STEM.
Samuel Sugarman of California 4-H is our Ag winner (sponsored by Bayer Crop Science). A 4-H’er since the age of 9, Samuel developed life skills like public speaking and goal setting, while learning from adult mentors who modeled servant leadership. Through these skills, Samuel created the free Farm Tour Program to connect youth in his community with animals and nature.
Amelia Day is a 4-H’er from Georgia and the Citizenship winner (sponsored by U.S. Cellular). At age 13, Amelia felt the need to encourage and support our nation’s veterans. With the help of the leadership skills learned in 4-H, she creating Operation: Veteran Smiles.
Bryanne Sanchez, California 4-H’er, is our Healthy Living winner (sponsored by Molina Healthcare). As her 4-H club’s first Healthy Living Officer, Bryanne became a strong advocate for healthy living in her community. Using this platform, Bryanne sought to bring initiatives promoting a healthy lifestyle to her Club and community.
Ohio 4-H’er Ava Lonneman is the recipient of the STEM award (sponsored by HughesNet). As founder of a STEM mentoring program and her school’s 4-H Maker’s Club, Ava has reached more than 1,600 youth using 4-H curricula such as Junk Drawer Robotics and 4-H National Youth Science Day activities.
While we are proud to honor our young people, we recognize 4-H Grown Alumni who, through the skills learned in 4-H, are impacting lives and excelling in their respective fields.
Kent Bazemore is a North Carolina 4-H alumnus and shooting guard for the Atlanta Hawks. Kent’s time as a 4-H’er instilled in him a strong belief in giving back, which is why he created the ARMS Foundation as a platform to help children from all walks of life.
Dr. Faustino Bernadett is a California 4-H alumnus and co-founder of the Molina Foundation. The Foundation partners with thousands of community organizations nationally, including 4-H and Cooperative Extension, to distribute millions of new books to children and families for free and supports initiatives to improve the quality of life in communities across America.
Aubrey Plaza, Delaware 4-H alumna and Emmy-nominated actress/producer, starring in the FX original series, Legion. Aubrey is currently working with the Wilmington Drama League to promote community theater and arts programs in Delaware.
