Marieke Patton has won a 4-H Ontario Outstanding New Club Leader Award.
The southern Simcoe County resident is one of five recipients from across the province of the award that celebrates and recognizes volunteers who have been 4-H club leaders for five years or less and embody the 4-H pledge in their work with local youth.
Patton has been volunteering as a leader with the South Simcoe 4-H Association since 2021, running clubs such as Rabbit, Farmer’s Market, Gardening, Crops and Photography, along with running a Cloverbuds program.
In Rabbit Club, Marieke organized an event to take the animals to visit elderly patients at a senior’s home.
“(Marieke) is a loyal leader, as she continuously listens to her member’s concerns and thoughts, using them to improve the club for everyone,” said one of the people who nominated her for the award.
One of her youth participants added, “Marieke has always been so kind and considerate to everyone and always makes sure that people feel welcome. (She) by far goes above and beyond expectation to give everyone a fun and educational experience.”
Nominations for the award are accepted from across the province, with one handed out in each region.
Here’s the full list of 2023 recipients:
- Region 1 – Crystal Perigo of Sudbury District 4-H Association
- Region 2 – Sheldon Shane of Leeds 4-H Association
- Region 4 – Marieke Patton of South Simcoe 4-H Association
- Region 5 – Sarah Shapton of Huron 4-H Association
- Region 6 – Martha Sullivan of Chatham-Kent 4-H Association
