FINDLAY, Ohio — The Hancock County Fair will be bustling with a week-long celebration of the local agricultural community starting Aug. 31.
But events like these rely heavily on volunteers signing up.
So, organizers have partnered with the United Way of Hancock County to fill a need for volunteers, due to the fair board struggling to fill spots at the nine entrance gates.
We have several shifts throughout the day that are highly managed by our gates committee," Hancock County Fair and Events Manager Haley Reese said. "But, we need anywhere from 8 to 10 people in each of those shifts all day long."
The fair reached out to the United Way of Hancock County for help and now anyone signed up as a volunteer through the nonprofit can fill a position at a fair gate.
United Way CEO Angela Debosky hopes the partnership can accomplish two things: connect current volunteers with a new organization like the fair and bring new volunteers into their own volunteer pool for future opportunities.
"When we discovered from the fair board that they needed some volunteers, and the United Way has a very thriving volunteer center, it seemed like a great way to kind of marry the two so that we could have some more exposure of folks and businesses from the city into the fair community," Deboskey said.
The fair board decided to thank the United Way with a $9,000 donation.
"We have a lot of volunteers to meet their need. And then the money that they're willing to provide to reinvest in the community gives a long lasting effect within our community. And I think that's a win-win for all of us." said Deboskey
Visit the United Way of Hancock County's website to sign up as a volunteer.
The 2022 Hancock County Fair begins on Aug. 31 and ends on Sept. 5.