The Myrtle 4-H Club has won a state award from the Association of Minnesota Counties.

The club applied for the Youth Service Leadership Award after finishing its six-year park project near London Township. Deer Creek Park is now where State Line Creamery had stood near Deer Creek Valley Lutheran Church.

“We’ve never applied for something like that,” club member Randene Davis said. “Two awards from that association are given out each year, and we got one of them so that was pretty special.”

Three club members, Davis, Kailey Davis and Devin Cooper, went to the state award banquet and gave a presentation on the park project. They received the award on behalf of the entire club. Each year the Association of Minnesota Counties recognizes two 4-H clubs in the state for service and leadership to their communities.

The project was finished last summer, and Davis has been a part of the club since it started. There are between 50 and 60 kids in the Myrtle 4-H Club, and many adults helped with the park including Phil Cooper, Mike Rohne, Allen Rohne and members of Deer Creek Valley Lutheran Church. The church donated some of their offerings to helping create the park.

“We built it up out of nothing,” Davis said. “We got a lot of support from the community.”

The club was able to add a split-rail fence along the front of the park so people know where to park their cars. They also used bricks from the creamery to create flower beds and a fireplace. The club hopes to keep working on the park by adding a sign, among other improvements and additions.

So far the park is used by the Myrtle 4-H Club and the Glenville FFA Chapter for meetings. The church next to the park is undergoing renovations and uses the park for its services currently. There are picnic tables and benches.

The Myrtle 4-H Club also won grand champion honors at the Freeborn County Fair in 2007 and went to the Minnesota State Fair with its display about the park project.