Members of Lake County’s Club 1776 are wrapping up a year filled with growth, leadership achievements and impressive accomplishments in both local and state 4-H competitions.

Alyssia Franklin, club representative, shared that several of the club’s standout youth prepared highlights of their proudest 4-H moments to share with the community.

Among them is Angel Vargas, who has served two years as club president while helping lead a group of youth ages six to sixteen. This year, Angel earned seven first place blue ribbons, two second place red ribbons, and a green ribbon for “best in lot” at the Lake County Fair. Angel also received first place in the county events day public speaking competition and has been invited to compete at the District Eight level. In addition to the competitive success, Angel has completed 14 hours of community service and spent two years as part of the 4-H Ambassador program.

Danica Keele, another top member of Club 1776, was named a Florida State Fair rabbit champion and earned the Lake County 4-H Senior Leadership Award. She has served as an Ambassador officer for two years and organized Memorial Day events honoring fallen veterans. Danica also attended multiple state-level 4-H events, including Day at the Capitol, where she met with representatives and toured government buildings. At the county fair, she earned several record book and skillathon honors and walked away with the Rabbit Showmanship Senior Champion belt buckle.

Abigail Murray, a first-year 4-H member, made a strong impression with early achievements in both livestock and creative competitions. She participated in her first horse show at the Lake County Fair, where she also earned first place in art and third in sewing. Abigail attended multiple Ambassador meetings and was active in community service events throughout the year.

As a club, 1776 also earned the Annual Gold Standard of Excellence and the Lake County 4-H Community Pride Award, recognizing their commitment to local service. The group has led service projects including holiday visits to elder care facilities, road beautification efforts, and donation drives supporting animals, local families and global outreach efforts in the Philippines and Uganda.

“Some of our community service work is visiting the elder facility on Hooks Street in Clermont for holidays, road beautification and cleanups, humane society projects, towel drives for animals, shoe drives, clothing drives and food drives for Lake County families,” Alyssia says. “This year we were able to expand the reach of our community service beyond Lake County to the Philippines and Uganda.”

Franklin said she hopes these stories inspire others to get involved in 4-H and show what young people can accomplish with leadership, teamwork and support.