Florida Fair News
Hardee County Fair Heath’s Story
The Hardee County Fair and their buyers have always stepped up for
the exhibitors showing at our fair. Consistently, our buyers support exhibitors at prices above other local fairs and livestock events. During last week’s fair, the buyers did more than step up, they stepped in to ensure that one exhibitor who lost his mom that week would feel the love of his community through their efforts. His mom, Tamara Hendry, was a single mom who adopted Heath
when he was an infant. She taught kindergarten at a local elementary school for over twenty years touching many lives. She was an active volunteer for 4H and participated on a fair committee for the 2nd grade pageant and tabulated for another. Many in our fair barn were accus- tomed to her presence daily when she brought her son and they fed and watered his swine. Last Tuesday morning the fifty year old mother felt ill, and left school signing out her son, and went home where she and Heath live with her mother. She suffered a massive heart attack and died. On the night of the livestock sale, Heath bravely showed his swine earning a massive round of applause and support from the spectators and buyers in the barn. By bidding end, the swine was purchased for an amazing price of $205.00 dollars per pound raising an astounding $55, 145.00. This sum doesn’t include Heath’s add-ons which are nearly $6,000 and open until March 15th. These generous buyers were a group of local businessmen and wom-
en from Hardee and Desoto Counties who came together to help Heath and provide assistance financially for the expenses that would be in- curred from his mom’s loss. Spectators at Thursday night’s sale ad- mired Heath’s commitment to showing his animal despite his circum-
Florida Strawberry Festival
Patsy Brooks, past Federation President, and Betty Jo Tompkins, Hillsborough County Fair board member were among many of the folks attending this year's Florida Strawberry Festival Luncheon.
Volunteers make up the backbone of the Florida Strawberry Festival and these ladies are getting ready for the Family Arts building to open.
stances. Not a dry eye could be found in the barn Saturday night when the auctioneer ended the bidding and everyone witnessed the tremen- dous love and respect shown to Heath and his mom.
Hardee County Fair Wrap Up… An amazing year!
And what an AMAZING Fair we had. Our 75th anniversary fair will
be one for the record books. The largest gate attendance ever, the larg- est mid-way gross ever. Not only did the normal fair activities exceed our expectations with amazing concerts, a midway second to none for our size fair, beauty pageants with so many beautiful contestants and then there was the livestock barn. we had 117 pigs, 27 steers and a whole lot of breeding animals, chickens and rabbits and now citrus trees for the youth of our community to participate in. And then tragedy struck when one of our fair family members sud-
denly and unexpectedly passed away the day before the livestock sale leaving a small 11 year old boy alone again for the second time in his life with a pig in the barn However, in true Hardee fashion, a communi- ty with a wealth of love for each other did what it always will do. The community stepped forward and rallied around this young man looking out for him with "mom gone" trying to help take care of his future. After a very emotional and God filled evening this community bought a Heath’s pig (see story at left). God has blessed us again.
Tom Umiker and Ellany Johnson grab a quick minute on a very busy Festival Day!
Tom Umiker visits with Vonda and Ron Gainey at
the Festival Luncheon.
It was great to see past Federation President, Ken Cassels at the Festival Luncheon.
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Getting ready for the Festival Luncheon and parade are (left to right) Doug Driggers (associate director), Billy Keel (associate di- rector), Tim Lovett (security direc- tor), Helen Parke (grand marshal for the Festival Parade), Danny Coton (director), Paul Davis
FAIRCRACKER-SUMMER 2016
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