During State 4-H Congress, held this week at North Carolina State University and around Raleigh, 4-H’ers will show compassion for their fellow North Carolinians by packing pasta for the Food Banks of North Carolina as part of 4-H’s Hungry to Help project.

Congress will be held July 18-21 at North Carolina State University’s McKimmon Center, Athens Drive High School and Dorton Arena. The annual event will attract more than 500 4-H club members, adult volunteers and 4-H agents with North Carolina Cooperative Extension.

On Wednesday, 4-H’ers will be at Dorton Arena on the N.C. State Fairgrounds to repackage 42,000
pounds of pasta and rice into family-sized containers, beginning at 9:45 a.m. They expect to complete the task within 90 minutes to two hours.

The project is part of the 4-H Hungry to Help initiative that was launched at 4-H Congress a year ago, with the goal of collecting 1 million pounds of food for the state’s food banks.

Every day, hunger disrupts the lives of one in five North Carolina children, and 4-H is dedicated to making a difference. The project’s goals are to increase awareness of hunger in North Carolina, to address the issue in local communities across the state and to prepare 4-H’ers to be citizen leaders for hunger relief.

News media are invited to cover any of the 4-H Congress events. For more information, contact Dr. Marshall Stewart at the numbers above.

During the four-day event, delegates also will participate in competitions, workshops, assemblies, recreation, fellowship and service to the community.

Other events of 4-H Congress are outlined below.

Monday, 7:30-10 p.m., Opening Assembly, McKimmon Center
The annual 4-H Honor Club tapping ceremony takes place by candlelight during the opening assembly. The top half of 1 percent of the state’s 4-H’ers are admitted to the Honor Club each year. 4-H’ers from across the state present their county flags in a festive opening march.

Tuesday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Presentation competitions, Athens Drive High School, 1420 Athens Drive, Raleigh
Delegates will participate in competitions designed to demonstrate their knowledge of subjects ranging from landscaping to sewing to wildlife. State winners, many of whom go on to compete in regional or national contests, will be named in more than 30 subject matter categories.

Wednesday, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Hands to Service/Hungry to Help
4-H’ers will participate in the Hungry to Help Hands to Service project at Dorton Arena, where they will pack or process rice and pasta. For more information, visit the 4-H host and hostess table in McKimmon Center or call Harriet Edwards, 919.515.9548.

Wednesday, 11:45 a.m.-2:30 p.m., tours of 4-H exhibit at D.H. Hill Library
4-H’ers will visit the library’s exhibit -- 4-H and N.C. State: Leading Together -- to learn about the many connections between the university. 4-H. Historian Jim Clark, author of Clover All Over: North Carolina’s First 4-H Century, will be on hand from noon until 2:30 p.m. to talk with 4-H’ers.

7-9 p.m., Farewell banquet at McKimmon Center
State officers will be elected late in the afternoon. The evening also will include a 9:30 p.m. candle lighting ceremony at Dorton Arena and a 10:15 p.m. farewell dance at McKimmon Center.
Thursday, Farewell luncheon, McKimmon

It's hard to say goodbye, but delegates will leave campus Thursday afternoon following a farewell luncheon.
The 4-H program is the youth education program of North Carolina Cooperative Extension, based at North Carolina State and North Carolina A&T State universities. More than 218,000 young people between the ages of 5 and 19 participate in North Carolina 4-H activities each year with the help of 21,400 adult and youth volunteers.