Volunteers play vital role at Delaware State Fair

HARRINGTON, Del. – “If you go in front of the Dover building, you go down to the FFA and 4-H and look at that building, it’s full,” said the former President of the Delaware State Fair, Leroy Betts.

“There are volunteers everywhere, and we couldn’t do it without the volunteers,” said Betts.

From taking care of the livestock to managing thousands of exhibits, volunteers at the Delaware State Fair help to make everything possible.

“We’ll doing anything from serving sodas, to work on the grill, to work on the line, serving the platters, pies, cakes, ice cream,” said Timothy Degroat, a volunteer at the Delaware State Fair.

At least 1,200 volunteers helped make this year’s fair possible and some of those individuals help to take care of animals like the cows.

“You’ve got the goats, you got the horses, you got the dairy, you got the beef, you got the sheep and the poultry and the hogs,” said Betts, “When we’re doing that you could not have those shows without the volunteers.”

Some of these volunteers have served at the Delaware State Fair since they were kids. Timothy Degroat says it has become a family tradition to help out at the fair’s Grange booth.

“It’s just part of our family heritage that we have always been a member of the Grange and as far back as we can take the records we’ve always been a member of it and supported it and as long as the booth has been up here the Delaware State Grange owns we’ve continued to support it,” said Timothy.

“My grandfather volunteered, then my mumum kind of did and now my dad did and I want to be a part of it too,” said Emily Degroat, a volunteer.

Timothy adds he hopes his daughter will keep coming back. He says it has become harder to get younger generations to volunteer at the fair.

“We’ve not had that many people sign up to help replace the people that are getting older in age,” said Timothy, “Hopefully in the years to come we’ll start getting some new members.”

And, although the next fair is a year away volunteers are already planning for what’s to come in the future.

“I mean they’re thinking about shows for next year right now, and we’re planning next year,” said Betts, “Things that are happening now started two years ago.”