Retired Teachers group to meet
The Jefferson County Retired Teachers Association will begin its 2024-2025 year at 11:30 a.m. Sept. 19 with a luncheon meeting at the Donald W. Reynolds Community Services Center, 211 W. Third Ave.
The guest speakers will be Interim Chancellor Andrea Stewart of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, and President Tyrone Jackson of Southeast Arkansas College, according to a news release.
Member reservations are required for the luncheon which will be provided by Southern Edge Catering. The luncheon is free to all 2024 retirees, but a reservation is required. Members are asked to bring jars of peanut butter to be donated to Neighbor to Neighbor to assist families in need.
For more information on JCRTA and to make luncheon reservations, call Lura Campbell at (870) 543-0127.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Dinner to benefit Arkansas 4-H
The Arkansas 4-H Foundation is gearing up for its 4th annual Dinner at the Vines event at 5 p.m. Sept. 24 at the C.A. Vines Arkansas 4-H Center in Little Rock.
The event will include a garden party, lakeside dinner, online and live auctions and entertainment — all benefitting Arkansas 4-H, according to a news release.
“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.
Attendees can also bid on items in the live auction. Items will include a five-night condo stay in Orange Beach, Alabama; Razorback football tickets, sporting and hunting equipment, culinary experiences, and sports collectibles.
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 adult 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.
Tickets are $150 each, or $1,000 for a table sponsorship for six. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.arkansas4hfoundation.org/.