Junior Landen Palmer has compiled over 450 hours of community service helping at the fairgrounds and around the community.
He primarily has done service at the Delaware County Fair as a junior fair assistant. He performs many tasks including helping to set up and tear down for concerts.
Palmer helps to pull all the equipment, including the drum sets, guitars, lights, and electronics, off the trucks. “Then we get instructed by the band what to do,” Palmer said.
Palmer has met some of the bands and artists who come to the fair to perform.
“I met Vanilla Ice after he came off the stage and took a selfie with him. I got to talk to him a little bit about his life and why he likes singing,” Palmer said. Vanilla Ice told Palmer he likes “to express himself and pump up people and have a good time with the crowd.”
Palmer’s grandparents, parents, and uncles have been involved with the fair. “It’s just a family thing,” Palmer said. “I put in a lot of time and effort to help the community have a good fair for everyone to enjoy.”
Palmer is also involved with the Feargrounds Haunted Barn in October where volunteers scare the customers who walk through the haunted building.
“I enjoy helping people. At the end of the day after all the hard work we put into the fair, it is so fun just to walk around,” Palmer said.
Palmer looks forward to helping kids make memories of their first roller coaster ride and of other fair activities.
“I enjoy seeing all the smiles we can put on people’s faces,” Palmer said.
Palmer thinks that it’s important for young people to do community service.
“It is important for our generation to understand how things work and to get involved in little things like the junior fair association,” Palmer said. “Once the people that are running it now go away, it gives us a chance to step in their place and give our input and ideas and improve as much as we can.”
Palmer also does community service with his church and his 4-H group.
“If there was a tornado, we would go down and help clean up,” Palmer said. “Every 4-H group does their own service hours.”
As of right now Palmer has a goal of getting 500 hours of community service and hopes to continue helping out with the fair.
