The melodious voice of District Judge Jeff Miller drifted across the Clarion County fairgrounds on Wednesday afternoon, providing information to the public.
Miller, who is just one of hundreds of volunteers working at the fair, said.
“You have to give back to the community.”
“It was all in good fun,” Miller said. “I have known many of them since they played Little League. I have a lot of fun with it.”
Clarion County Fair Board President Josh Minich said without volunteers, “we couldn’t pull the fair off. We couldn’t ask for a better bunch of people. It takes a village to put this event on. They spend hours and hours before and after the fair.”
Minich said the 4-H groups, leaders and families do grass-seeding and paint the barns every year.
“We have two work nights. One is a park work night and the other is on Thursday before the fair when we clean the barns and build stalls,” he said. “A lot of our sponsors will come out and help us with things on the grounds.”
That includes, he said, working all night to set up exhibits.
“I came up to the Home and Garden building at one o’clock in the morning and they were still working,” Minich said. “I found out later they didn’t quit until 6 a.m. Many of our 4-H parents put on the shows.”
“We are a working board,” he said.
Miller credits Minich with setting the example.
“They see you out there picking up litter just like any employee or volunteer,” Miller said. “You work with them.”
Minich said he is active with the fair, because when he was 9 years old his parents got him involved with 4-H.
“My heart is with the 4-H kids,” Minich said. “We care about what the kids are doing.”