NORWICH – With the 166th Chenango County Fair in full swing, hands are hard at work to make sure things go off without a hitch. And, just as they do every year, scores of volunteers are pitching in.
Between 75 and 100 volunteers turn out to the Chenango County Fair each year to lend a helping hand. Whether it’s staffing the emergency medical center on the fairgrounds, removing garbage, or overseeing logistics at the grandstand, there doesn’t seem to be a single aspect of the fair not impacted by volunteer work. This year is certainly no exception.
“Fairs just get into your blood,” said Mary Weidman, president of the Chenango County Agricultural Society. Though not a volunteer herself, Weidman ­– alongside nine volunteer fair directors – helps oversee volunteer activity at the fairgrounds; and year after year, she said there is always a good turnout of support.
Weidman also made mention of volunteers this year who not only helped during the harness racing activities held on Tuesday, but are also taking in new experiences.
“I have a couple girls who are helping who have never seen a horse race before,” she explained. “It’s a whole new thing to a lot of them, and these volunteers are of all ages - the young who are starting with their first fair, and the older who have been doing it for years.”
For fair director David Law, volunteering at the county fair is a tradition that goes back more than 50 years.
“It’s something you either like or you don’t. You definitely have to have a passion to do it,” he said. “There is a certain element of work that is required when you volunteer, but there’s also satisfaction because you are helping to bring something enjoyable to people.”
Law, who was also named this year’s Mr. Chenango County (his wife, Virginia Law, as Mrs. Chenango County), said volunteering at the fair has become a family custom over the years. Volunteer efforts are an invaluable component of the fair, he said, and the fair itself simply couldn’t go on without them. “It just wouldn’t function without the help of volunteers. If they weren’t here, you might well close the gates and call off all events.”
For emergency medical service worker Mindy Ives, volunteer work caries a more important value than a sense of self-satisfaction. As an eight-year volunteer for the Oxford Fire Department, Ives said she works closely with her EMS collogues at the county fair. “We always need people here to keep it safe for everyone,” she said, noting that some nights are busier than others.
At any given moment, there can be up to five volunteer EMS workers on hand at the fairgrounds. “Sometimes, it is difficult because volunteering is on the decline,” said Ives. In some regards, it’s understandable, she added, as people are consumed by their families, their work, and an overall busier personal life. “For me, coming here to help out has become a tradition.”
EMS, fire, and construction volunteers have also worked for weeks on the newly completed EMS center at the fairgrounds. The structure, which was dedicated to the memory of Henry Bostelman Sr. on Tuesday, was funded through private donations and built entirely by people willing to donate their time and effort for the cause.
Said Weidman, “All the people who help us each year are appreciated. We wouldn’t be anywhere without these volunteers.”
For information regarding the 166th annual Chenango County Fair, visit chenangocountyfair.homestead.com.