Each member of the volunteer fair board had already put in hundreds of hours preparing for one weekend and, before it was all over, at least another 100 community members (organized by a volunteer) gave their time to make the event one of the best in the county.
By 7 a.m., volunteers were there, staffing the entrance gates, readying the kid’s train for its first fair experience (the train was also built and donated by a volunteer), putting the finishing touches on the Exhibit Hall, setting up booths in the Education Tent and preparing the Activity Tent for the day’s events.
In the Livestock Tent, 4-H youth woke up to feed and clean their animals a day after parents had set up the animal and poultry barns. And, to keep all of our animals and humans safe, volunteers were on the grounds for four days, checking on livestock every two hours. Veterinarians volunteered their time to check each and every animal daily for any signs of disease and others took a lead role as superintendents.
What motivated these amazing people to do what they did? For each it’s a different story.
For one it might be the desire to give back to the community that they love. For others, it’s an event that they, their parents and their parents’ parents have participated in for generations. And for others, it’s a chance to have fun, socialize and meet other like-minded residents.
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