Brown County Fair exhibitors are partnering with students with special needs and giving them the chance to show a pig.
Bay Port FFA is running the Special Drive at this year’s Brown County Fair. This is a pig show which gives students with special needs the opportunity to show a pig after an afternoon of mentorship from current fair exhibitors. This event will take place on Aug. 18 from 3-5:15 p.m. in the North Show Barn and Swine Barn at the Brown County Fairgrounds in DePere.
“It started last June when we were sitting at our FFA officer meeting,” says Nadia Harrig, one of the students planning the event. “We wanted to do things with getting out in the community, and we thought one way we could do that is going through our county fair with things that we’re passionate about — to be able to show kids with special needs how to show and raise pigs like we do.”
Nadia and some of her fellow FFA officers shadowed a similar program in Fond du Lac County during the planning phase of the ‘Special Drive.’ She even got to participate by helping two students with special needs show animals in their wheelchairs.
“I thought it was really cool,” she says of the experience. “We got to show them everything that we do to take care of our animals.”
Brown County Fair exhibitors are paired with students to learn about raising and showing swine from 3-4:30 p.m. Upon conclusion of this tutorial, the official show will begin at 4:30 p.m. in the North Show Barn. This event is free for students to participate. All are welcome to attend the show. Observers must pay admission to the Brown County Fair.
“We really want to build a connection with our community and get the livestock industry out there because that’s something that not a lot of people know about” says Megan Rocheleau, another student working on the project. “We also want to give the special needs students and the livestock exhibitors opportunities that they never had before.”
Megan, Nadia and their team worked diligently getting sponsors and the seal of approval from the Brown County Fair Board. Since it’s the first year, they are capping participation at 15 students. Two livestock exhibitors will work with each student.
If you know someone who may be interested in being a show participant, sign up: https://howard-suamicoschools.revtrak.net/bp/bp-ffa/#/f/bp-ffa-brown-county-fair-special-drive-pig-show
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