Whinny Pigs 4-H Club Expanding to Sheep and Bunnies at 2018 Fair

The 4-H club initially known for celebrating only horses and guinea pigs expands membership with the inclusion of new projects for this year’s fair!
In their 2017 4-H Fair debut, the Whinny Pigs made headlines as the first 4-H club to combine the club’s focus on equine and cavy projects! But two species are no longer enough for these curious club members.
“Our vision is to be the most diverse and inclusive 4-H club. You don’t get there with just two different animals,” says Patrick Schalick, age 11, Club Secretary.
To meet this vision, they’re focusing on adding two key species each year, keeping with the large/small theme.
“We wanted lambs and bunnies because we thought the time was right. It seemed like people were ready for these animals to be combined [with guinea pigs and horses] in a 4-H club,” says Erin Schalick, age 18, Club President.
Based on the favorable public reaction to the club in 2018, the eldest Miss Schalick tapped her extensive network of influencers and conducted social media market research to strategically determine the chosen two in the animal kingdom for Fair 2018.
“The strategy worked,” says Patrick Kelley, age 10, Club Treasurer. “We hoped to learn about two new types of animals and how to care for them, grow them and show them each year. The sheep will be offered for sale at the 4-H livestock auction upon completion of competition.”
“It is a win-win for us because our sheep are raised with kindness and love, and we learned that sheep are very friendly and personable and they are really fun to take care of,” says Elizabeth Schalick, age 14, Club Vice President.
“We will miss the sheep, but they know we love them,” says Laurent Kelley, age 8, Cloverbud member and owner of rabbits Oreo, Baroni, Kodee and Missy.
In the coming year, the club hopes to increase their public service initiatives (in the past year they completed a road clean up and blood drive) and find new animals to learn about and incorporate under the Whinny Pigs umbrella.
They will also need to consider new executive officers, as Erin Schalick is in the final year of her presidential term. She is heading to the University of Findlay in the fall of 2018, where she will be majoring in nursing and equine science.
Current members include Lauren Kelley, Jania Alex and Austin Seaburg. Executive Officers include Patrick Kelley, Treasurer; Patrick Schalick, Secretary and PR Man; Elizabeth Schalick, Vice President; and Erin Schalick, President.
Stop by our stalls and offer some suggestions for new animals to present at the 2019 4-H Fair. And come to the horse, cavy, and sheep shows and watch the Whinny Pigs in action. Look for the club favorite “Charlotte” sheep extraordinaire… the sweetest, kindest and smartest sheep (in our totally unbiased opinion).