4-H Recognizes Alaska Volunteer With Salute to Excellence Award

Submitted by Roxanne Creamer
Phone: (907) 474-5406
03/26/03

The National 4-H Council announced that E. Cherrie Ruesch of Chugiak, Alaska, is the winner of the youth development movement’s national 4-H Salute to Excellence Volunteer of the Year Award, which honors one outstanding 4-H volunteer with less than ten years of service. Ruesch was named the top volunteer from among the 50 states that have 4-H volunteer leaders.

Ruesch will receive a commemorative plaque and monetary award--part of which will be used for 4-H work in her communities--during ceremonies in April at the National 4-H Conference Center in Chevy Chase, Md. near Washington, D.C.

The 4-H Salute to Excellence Awards were created by Gene and Sharon Swackhamer to bring to the forefront the important work of 4-H volunteers across the nation.

E. Cherrie Ruesch Ruesch is well known for horses, shooting sports and gingerbread houses, although she also has expanded her 4-H work to include leadership, citizenship, livestock, crafts, woodworking, cooking and sewing. She began her 4-H volunteer career in 1995 as an assistant leader for the Blue Sky Trail Blazers 4-H horse club. As assistant leader, Ruesch helped with horse camp and concentrated on finding quality horse care and riding skills instructors to expand the knowledge of the 4-H’ers in her club. She also helped find loaner horses for young people who wanted to learn how to ride but did not own a horse.

Ruesch and her 4-H’ers rode in parades and helped with fundraisers for equine organizations, such as the Alaska Equine Rescue and The Rainbow Connection 4-H Therapeutic Riding Program, to increase public awareness of 4-H in the Municipality of Anchorage. Concerned that her 4-H’ers develop into responsible horsemen and horsewomen, Ruesch also helped develop the Mat-Su District Horse Symposium--a series of public workshops about proper equine care and management--and was named Mat-Su District Horse Leader of the Year in 1999. She attends the Alaska State 4-H Horse Leaders Conference each year and is the Mat-Su District representative for the Alaska State 4-H Leaders Council.

Ruesch is greatly responsible for the growth of the 4-H Shooting Sports Program in Alaska, which includes setting up shooting sports leaders’ training programs, building competitive teams and traveling with them, training instructors, raising funds and finding sponsors for the program. She became involved in the 4-H Shooting Sports Program in 1999 because the oldest of her five children wanted to participate and became certified as a leader in archery, muzzle loading and shotgun. She became a certified instructor in muzzle loading and shotgun so she could teach.

Usually clad in her 4-H jacket and hat so that people will stop her and ask about 4-H, she travels around the state to schools, gun and sportsman shows, and safety days to talk to youth about 4-H and what it offers for them. Reusch is the treasurer of the Alaska State 4-H Shooting Sports Development Committee and has served as its vice president.

Ruesch, who runs the family bakery with her husband, Leonhard, is the founder of the eagerly anticipated annual 4-H Gingerbread House Project. The project started four years ago as a gingerbread house decorating workshop for 4-H’ers at her bakery and has grown into a juried gingerbread house contest and a month-long exhibit of a full-fledged gingerbread village at the Anchorage Hilton complete with information about 4-H activities around the state.

"The concept of inclusion is very important to Cherrie. Whenever she organizes a clinic or workshop or teaches a class, she makes sure everyone else in the vicinity is invited. Thus, many new friendships are formed, horizons expanded and talents shared," Annie Mabry, secretary of the Alaska State Leaders Association, said in her recommendation of Ruesch.

More than 6.8 million youth are involved in 4-H programs annually. 4-H is part of the Cooperative Extension System, which conducts programs in all 3,067 counties of the United States, District of Columbia, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and five territories. The Cooperative Extension System is a partnership between the United States Department of Agriculture, state land-grant universities and local county governments.

National 4-H Council works to advance the 4-H youth development movement, building a world in which youth and adults learn, grow and work together as catalysts for positive change. National 4-H Council partners with the Cooperative Extension System, communities and other organizations to provide technical support and training, develop curricula, create model programs and promote positive youth development to fulfill its mission. National 4-H Council also manages the National 4-H Conference Center, a full-service conference facility, and the National Supply Service, the USDA nationally authorized agent for the interstate sales of paraphernalia bearing the 4-H name and emblem. The 4-H name and emblem is protected under 18 U.S.C. 707. National 4-H Council is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.

Contact: Jim Douglas, (907) 465-8756