Participation is free, and guest showmen get to learn all about their animal, lead it around the arena, and tell the crowd a little about themselves.
CELINA, OH (WLIO) - There are few experiences like showing an animal at the county fair, and the Mercer County Board of Developmental Disabilities is making sure nobody misses out. Bethany Ulrick has that story.
The last "Share the Ring" event will be held on Tuesday at 7 p.m., where participants will be showing sheep.
"Share the Ring" returned to the Mercer County Fair for its second year, with about double the number of participants as the first. Participation is free, and guest showmen get to learn all about their animal, lead it around the arena, and tell the crowd a little about themselves. Each is paired with a 4-H student who volunteered to help them.
The event means a lot to families who can't see their loved ones compete otherwise, and they plan to keep coming back each year.
"My sister has autism, and she was walking a cow today too, but she had a different partner. It just makes me feel good to see how they are happy, and they like doing it with me and the cow," said Lillian Overman, who is showing beef cattle and a "Share the Ring" volunteer.
The tradition of showing animals at the fair is especially important in Mercer County, a county that has the 4th highest percentage of farmland in the state. The event means a lot to families who can't see their loved ones compete otherwise, and they plan to keep coming back each year.
After they made their way around the ring, each participant was awarded two medals, both as a memento and to celebrate a job well done.
"We know how much joy Molly got from it the last time, and our family loves to come out and watch, and it's just a family event. You know, anything that we can do that has Molly be involved with everybody else is important for us," said Kevin, Molly, and Jess Kramer, second-year participants in "Share the Ring."
After they made their way around the ring, each participant was awarded two medals, both as a memento and to celebrate a job well done.
"Some of them were a little hesitant. They were nervous; they had all these people watching them; they weren't sure of the animal. It was a new experience for many of them. So just the fact that they faced their fears, they came out here, and they showed their animal, and with some help, but they did it. And so that medal, I think, is just a symbol that, hey, we did it, we can do things too, we can be proud of our accomplishments too, and here's my medal to show it," said Teri Spoltman, president of the Mercer County Board of Developmental Disabilities.
So far this fair, Mercer County residents with disabilities have had the opportunity to show rabbits and cattle. The last "Share the Ring" event will be held on Tuesday at 7 p.m., where participants will be showing sheep.
