Vinton County 4-H hosts noodle dinner to fund scholarships, support levy

A familiar plate of noodles carried a direct payoff for Vinton County youth. The Vinton County 4-H Advisory Council used its annual noodle dinner to raise money for the county’s 4-H Scholarship Fund, tying the community meal to the next generation of local students.

The fundraiser was held at McArthur United Methodist Church, with serving from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tickets were $12. Dine-in guests were served noodles, mashed potatoes, green beans, a dinner roll, dessert and drinks, with all proceeds designated for the scholarship fund.

The scholarship support matters because it is linked to a current awards cycle. Vinton County 4-H scholarships were open to members who were in 4-H in 2025, planned to enroll in 2026 and were current high school seniors, with a 4 p.m. April 13 deadline. That makes the noodle dinner part of a broader effort to keep educational and leadership opportunities within reach for local young people.

The council also used the event to promote a Yes vote on the five-year renewal levy that supports the local OSU Extension Office and Vinton County 4-H. The levy is a three-fourths, or 0.75 mill, renewal that also helps fund agriculture and natural resources programming, family and consumer sciences education, and community development work.

Those programs run through the Vinton County OSU Extension office at 31935 State Route 93 in McArthur, where current staff listed online include Jessica Burns, Jean Anne Myers, Tracey Perry and Travis West. OSU Extension describes its county offices as part of the world’s largest non-formal educational system, with programs designed to meet local needs through research-based information in family and consumer sciences, 4-H youth development, community development, and agriculture and natural resources.

The levy message also fits Vinton County’s recent voting history. Local reports have said county voters have twice passed a three-fourths mill levy in support of 4-H, underscoring a long-running pattern of backing the program through the ballot box.

For families looking to get involved beyond the dinner, Ohio 4-H encourages residents to contact their county Extension office and local 4-H professional. In Vinton County, the message from the meal, the scholarship fund and the levy request was the same: 4-H remains a countywide investment in youth, education and the daily work of Extension.