By Tracy Courage
U of A System Division of Agriculture
LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas 4-H Foundation is gearing up for its 4th annual Dinner at the Vines event on Sept. 24 — complete with garden party, lakeside dinner, online and live auctions and entertainment — all benefitting Arkansas 4-H.
VINES — The Arkansas 4-H Foundation's signature fundraiser takes places Sept. 24, 2024, at the C.A. Vines Arkansas 4-H Center in Little Rock, AR. (UADA graphic)
The event begins at 5 p.m. at the C.A. Vines Arkansas 4-H Center, at 1 Four H Way in Little Rock. Tickets are $150 each, or $1,000 for a table sponsorship for six. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.arkansas4hfoundation.org/
“This event has become a great tradition for so many of our Arkansas 4-H supporters as a way of connecting with old friends, making some new ones, and investing in our 4-H youth,” said John Thomas, the foundation’s managing director.
Festivities will kick off in the 4-H Center’s teaching garden where Pulaski County Master Gardeners will give tours and answer questions about the native plants in the garden.
Dinner will be lakeside, near the center’s rose garden, and will feature locally sourced and seasonal foods. Kordsmeier Music will provide entertainment.
Nearly 100 items are up for grabs in the online auction, which opens Sept. 17 to the public.
Event attendees can also bid on items in the live auction. Up for grabs is a five-night condo stay in Orange Beach, Alabama; Razorback football tickets, sporting and hunting equipment, culinary experiences, sports collectibles and more.
Proceeds benefit Arkansas 4-H, the state’s largest youth development program, offered through the Cooperative Extension Service, part of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
“Everything we do at center that draws adults audiences helps pay for opportunities for our 4-H youth,” said Judy Riley, event chair. “The more we can improve infrastructure, the better we can provide enjoyable accommodations for all. Staying here is a way of giving back. That’s a way people can pay it forward to help our youth.”
Past proceeds have also made it possible for 4-H youth to attend summer camps and other activities.
Arkansas 4-H serves every county in Arkansas and reaches more than 275,000 youth annually through programming and scholarships opportunities.
Dinner at the Vines is for adults aged 21 and older.
To learn about the Arkansas 4-H Foundation and how to support Arkansas 4-H, visit https://www.arkansas4hfoundation.org/. For information about 4-H opportunities and other extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow on X at @AgInArk.