Trailblazers Celebrate 25 Years of Service

SEELEY LAKE – The Seeley Lake Trailblazers 4-H Club hosted a dinner and silent auction to celebrate the club's 25 years of service to the community. Sophomore Trailblazer Nicole Williams organized the event as a part of her teen leadership project. The goal was to give back to the community and thank them for their support.

Williams decided to host the spaghetti feed and dessert auction fundraiser in conjunction with the 25-year celebration. They set a budget of $250 for the event.

"The money that we raise will be used to fund local charities," said Williams. Williams said the club will decide which local organizations they will donate funds to after they know how much was raised.

They served nearly 11 pounds of spaghetti noodles and nearly five gallons of spaghetti sauce along with garlic bread and salad to the more than 60 attendees. Club and community members as well as a handful of area businesses donated desserts for the auction.

"It's been a good crazy," said Nicole's Mother Shannon Hahn. "It's been two and a half months of planning for this to go through and I think we did [well]."

Between the dinner and dessert, attendees enjoyed a slide show put together by Trailblazer Amanda Thomas that captured 25 years of the club. It highlighted all the activities the Seeley Lake Trailblazers have been involved with including current members and club alumni.

Trailblazer leader Sharon Teague pointed out a photo of Brooke Bezanson sitting in the door of a barn. Bezanson was once a Trailblazer and is now Miss Montana and will compete in the Miss USA Competition May 14.

Missoula County 4-H Youth Development Extension Agent Campbell Barrett attended the event. He praised the Trailblazer's club leadership, from adults to student officers, for their independence and self-reliance since the club is removed from Missoula.

"They often learn and do on their own since it is difficult to make it to Missoula for all the different things," said Barrett.

Barrett also called the club members the "super-stars of Seeley."

"In a lot of places kids are sort of embarrassed to be in 4-H because it's not the cool thing to do. What I've loved about Seeley is they have always had the cool kids. They've had the top athletes and the top students in their 4-H club. As you can tell they have turned out a lot of good leaders over the years," said Barrett.

"A big thank you to Cory's. We couldn't have done this without Cory. And to ReMarkable Floral who donated these beautiful arrangements," said Williams. "We raised more than I could have ever hoped to raise. It was thanks to the amazing turnout and the help from the 4-H club and those in the community."