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Animals, 4-H club members visit older folks

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POLSON — “I like the rabbits because they are different colors,” Louis McCloud said, watching Spartan, a black lop bunny, wiggle his nose. 

“Of course I love the horses,” Julia Rosenhan said, patting Madisyn Evelo’s miniature horse, Jazz. 

Rosenhan lived on a small farm when she was younger, and there were pigs, chickens and goats on her farm. 

Rosenhan and McCloud live at the Polson Health and Rehabilitation Center. The residents had a visit from a group of 4-H members from across Lake County on July 17.

The kids chose a traveling petting zoo as part of the 4-H Adopt-a-Grandparent program and brought some of their 4-H projects — a heifer, two bunnies, two piglets, two miniature horses, an Indian Runner duck, a chicken and a dog — to visit. 

The older folks sat in a circle on the patio area, and the kids introduced their animal friends. 

The kids and animals brought back memories of Duane Rowley’s own 4-H days. Rowley showed Golden Guernseys when he was a youngster. 

4-H leaders and moms Christina Evelo and Amy Vaughan loaded up the horse trailer with animals and the pickup with kids, plus an extra couple of cars, to carry the 18 young people. They also planned a stop off at should be: Providence St. Joseph Assisted Living Center.

While the kids had been to the residence once before, this was the first visit with animals. The 4-hers plan quarterly visits to the elder care facilities as part of the Adopt-a-Grandparent Program.

“4-H is about being out in your community serving,” Vaughan said.

In this case, it was young Megan Evelo cuddling her bunny, Prince, and walking from person to person, inviting the older people to pat Prince.

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