Community Shows "Heart" at the 6th Annual "Have-A-Heart for 4-H" Green Tie Affair

MAYVILLE, NEW YORK (March 29, 2018) -- Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County’s 4-H Youth Development Program would like to thank the community for their support of the sixth annual Have a Heart for 4-H Green Tie Affair. Over 650 members of the community gathered at the Chautauqua Suites on February 25th for a delicious dinner, basket raffle, bake sale, cake silent auction and the always entertaining pie auction.

The Green Tie Affair began in 2012 when Chautauqua County eliminated 4-H funding from their budget. The first event was held at 3C’s Catering Falcon’s Nest location. That space was quickly outgrown and in 2013 moved to the Gerry Rodeo Hall. In 2015 the event was moved to the Chautauqua Suites. Between re-instated County funds and fundraising, 4-H is currently able to maintain year-round programming for 350 youth and one-time programming for 1,000 youth.

The basket raffle at the 6th Annual 4-H Green Tie Affair featured nearly 100 baskets. Many baskets were donated by 4-H clubs and animal projects. Area businesses were generous in their donations as well. New this year the Green Tie Affair hosted a bake sale and silent cake auction. The bake sale featured a varied of goods from 4-Hers and friends of 4-H and contributed nearly $700.00 to the event. The silent cake auction featured ten cakes created by current 4-H members. The top-selling cake was baked and decorated by Hannah Cross and was purchased for $50.00 by Dennis McElwain.

Dinner was prepared by the staff at the Suites and served by 4-H youth volunteers. Sinclairville Superette was gracious enough to price the ham at cost which greatly reduced dinner cost. Dinner also included salad, scalloped potatoes, applesauce, green beans, rolls from Farm Fresh Foods, and ice cream donated by Fieldbrook Foods. Stedman Corner’s donated coffee and Welch’s and Hathaway Farms donated grape juice. Olive Garden donated dressing for the salad and Panera Bread donated portion cups for the salad dressing. Wegmans, Lakewood Save-A-Lot, Dunkirk Walmart, South Dayton Super Duper, and Dunkirk and Silver Creek Tops stores donated gift cards for the purchase of food for the event.

Dustin Schwab of Allegheny Auctions and Andy Campbell auctioned 30 pies made by 4-Hers and friends of 4-H. Melissa Winton, Friend of 4-H, baked the top-selling pie. H&H Enterprises purchased Melissa’s pecan pie for $1,450! The average cost of a pie at this year’s event was $335.00, up slightly from last year’s average of $315.00.

Area families and businesses sponsored a record 78 tables. Table sponsors received eight dinner tickets, tickets to the basket raffle, advertisement on the placemat, on the thank you banner, and in local press. The Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce provided a $200.00 Shoptauqua gift card to be raffled to table sponsors. Painting Unlimited was the lucky winner of the gift card.

Other sponsors who made the event possible were MW Graphics, JRSC Digital, Media One Group, Little Creek Photography, and Chautauqua Suites. Special thanks goes to Bert Edwards who volunteered to serve as the EMT for the event.

Chautauqua County 4-H is pleased to announce that the 4-H Green Tie Affair raised $24,000 to support programming in 2018. Any additional funds raised over that need will be placed in the 4-H Endowment at the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation. Thank you to the community for supporting 4-H!

The 4-H Youth Development Program is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County (CCE-Chautauqua). CCE-Chautauqua is a community based educational organization, affiliated with Cornell University, Chautauqua County Government, the NYS SUNY system, and the federal government through the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. For more information, call 716-664-9502 or visit our website at www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua. Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.

Last updated March 29, 2018