4-H members served more than 700 members of the community who came to support Chautauqua County 4-H at the Green Tie Affair held recently. Submitted photo

Cornell Cooperative Extension Chautauqua County’s 4-H Youth Development Program recently served more than 700 members of the community at its fifth annual Have a Heart for 4-H Green Tie Affair at the Chautauqua Inn and Suites.

In addition to dinner, there was a basket giveaway and pie auction. The basket raffle boasted nearly 100 baskets this year. Many baskets were donated by 4-H clubs and animal projects. Area businesses were generous in their donations as well.

Dinner was prepared by the staff at the Chautauqua Inn and Suites and served by 4-H youth volunteers. Sinclairville Superette priced the ham at cost, which greatly reduced dinner costs. Dinner also included scalloped potatoes, applesauce, green beans, rolls from Farm Fresh Foods, butter donated by O-AT-KA Milk Cooperative and Valerie Moss-Deegan, ice cream donated by Fieldbrook Farms, and cookies donated from Ecklof Bakery, Farm Fresh Foods, Full Moon Rising Bakery, and 3 C’s Catering. Stedman Corner’s donated coffee and Welch’s donated juice as well.

Mike Peterson of Peterson Auction and Realty Service and Dustin Schwab of Allegheny Auctions auctioned 30 pies made by 4-Hers and friends of 4-H. Brenda Wills, an adult volunteer in the Stockton Panthers 4-H Club, baked the top-selling pie. H&H Enterprises purchased Wills’ pecan pie for $1,250. The average cost of a pie at the 2017 event was $315, up slightly from last year’s average of $275.

Although official numbers have not been released 4-H usually raises between $24,000 and $25,000 each year. Proceeds from the Green Tie Affair will support 4-H programming in 2017. Any additional money raised over that need will be placed in the 4-H Endowment at the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation.