Program allows girls to blossom

Girls ages 11-15 are invited to try their hand at Cowboy Fast Draw, make homemade lip balm, soap and lotion, and cook a pizza from scratch during the free Blossom program class 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 6 in the 4-H building at the Head of the Lakes Fairgrounds.

“Our Motto is ‘Learn, Grow, Blossom,’” said program founder Lori Adrihan. “This is also true for the instructors. It is time for us to learn and grow with the girls.”

The first Blossom event in September introduced 10 girls to Cowboy Fast Draw, a sport where participants fire wax bullets from pistols at a target. They also practiced archery and cooked up a homemade meal — spaghetti and sauce along with wild rice cake and caramel sauce.

“We always have a cooking portion of the class, always homemade,” Adrihan said. Other activities are chosen based on the girls’ preferences. That’s why they will again don their Wild West personas and shoot with members of the local Cowboy Fast Draw group, the Black River Bandits.

“The girls loved doing this in the first class, so we brought it back for the second class,” Adrihan said. The girls in the program are also interested in making their own jewelry, so Adrihan is looking for an instructor to lead a jewelry-making project.

The program is free and there are open slots available. Anyone interested in signing up for the program can call Adrihan at (715) 399-0660. Blossom is funded by the Aurora Ouisconsin Outdoor Club. Owners Jerry and Vonn Wittkopf have raised $500 for this program. The program’s budget was also boosted by a $500 grant from the Douglas County Fish and Game League.

Donations are appreciated. Anyone interested in donating time or would making a financial contribution can contact Adrihan via email at www.a1outdoors@

centurytel.net or call (218) 590-1354.

Tags: community, food, money, family