A32-Uncasttr Fanning, Saturday, Octobar 17, 1992
Kerra Allen And The
(Continued from Page At)
“At first, I struggled a little with
giving up the money,” Kerra said,
“but then, I asked myself, ‘Who
needs it more?’”
When Kerra heard the minister
say that Clare House, a temporary
home for women and children who
suffer financial hardship, would
need to be closed down because
they did not have enough funds to
keep operating, Kerra was
alarmed. She had heard about
Clare House before. “We often
took our pennies to Children’s
Church and deposited them in a
box for Clare House,” Kerra said.
The home, a Christian non
profit organization, has been in
operation since 1985. Although
die home survived on month-to
month private donations, contribu
tions dropped considerably re
cently. The Rev. Theodore
McCabe, the minister of Ruhls
United Methodist Church where
Kerra attends, believes that those
who had previously contributed to
Clare House recently sent their
donations to the hurricane victims
of Florida, Louisiana, and Hawaii.
McCable and other Clare House
board members understand the
great needs the hurricane victims
suffered, but the need to help
homeless women and children
remains constant.
When Kerra heard the home
would have to close unless it
received immediate funds, she
vowed to donate the money from
selling Patches, a sheep she pur
chased from Joyce and Kirt Dif
fenderfer of Manheim.
When Kerra told her parents,
Keith and Kendy Allen, about her
vow, they decided that they would
pay the feed bills instead of having
the costs deducted from the profit.
Kerra sold two other sheep to pay
for the purchase price of Patches.
That way, the total selling price
could be given to Clare House.
Kerra did everything that she
could to raise the best sheep possi
ble. She fed Patches a nutritionally
balanced diet, exercised it daily,
and pampered it. She wrote a letter,
which she sent out to 12 potential
buyers.
The letter read: I am writing to
tell you that I will be selling my
4-H lamb at the Manheim Fair on
Friday, Oct. 9, at 8 p.m.
I want to tell you this because all
the money that my lamb sells for
will be donated to Clare House
a home for homeless women and
children in Lancaster that my
church helps to support. It needs
money desperately and I want to
help.
I am 11 years old. My lamb and I
will be wearing matching ribbons.
Will you please help support me
in doing this?
Kerra arrived at the Manheim
Farm Show full of optimism as she
lacked up a sign above her sheep
pen promising that “all of the sell
ing price of my market lamb will
be donated to Clare House of Lan
caster.” Kerra also hung up a
newspaper clipping describing the
plight of Clare House.
Kerra’s optimism faded when
her 102-pound lamb only placed
fourth in competition. She knew
that fourth-place lambs did not
bring much money on the auction
block. She was praying for a grand
champion or at least the reserve
title those are the lambs for
which buyers paid top premiums.
Kerra honestly reported her
reactions to this disappointment by
saying, “I told God, Tm doing this
for You, Lord. What’s happening
here?”
Unknown to Kerra were two
businessmen who had heard in a
round-about way about Kerra’s
pledge to donate money to Clare
House.
One man was Darvin Boyd of
Hamilton Bank, which has sup
ported the 4-H program for 20
years by buying a lamb and steer
during the fair season. Boyd heard
about Kerra’s promise to donate
the money to Clare House through
Chet Hughes, Lancaster County
Extension agent.
Boyd said, “I had never heard of
Clare House, but Kerra’s story
appealed to me because any kid
that has that kind of heart and is
willing to give to help those less
fortunate deserves good support
for the cause.”
Boyd was even more impressed
when he heard that it was Kerra’s
idea, not her parents’, to donate the
money.
Another businessman was Tom
Drumm of TW’s Leather Sales,
Inc. Although he attends the same
church as Kerra, they did not know
each other. He read a brief notice
about Kerra’s pledge in the church
bulletin. Drumm talked with some
people who work with his TW’s
Leathers Sales at SO-A South
Broad St., in Lititz. Together, they
decided to purchase the sheep as a
fund-raising effort for Clare
House.
When Kerra led her sheep
before the auctioneer, she did not
know that Boyd and Drumm, who
were also unknown to each other,
were going to bid cm her sheep.
When the bidding climaxed at
$ll a pound, Kerra said, “I was so
happy, I was hysterical. I hadn’t
realized what God’s plan was.
How could I not have trusted Him
to bring a good price for the
sheep?”
When Kerra, who was deeply
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attached to Patches, was told that
she could keep the sheep, she was
ecstatic. “Patches is going to live
in luxury on our farm until he
dies,” she said.
The sale was finished Saturday
night on October 9, but Boyd
couldn’t erase the memory of Ker
ra’s pledge.
He was curious. What kind of
place was Clare House, which
caused such compassion to be
shown by an 11-year-old girl?
Monday night, he decided to
And out He looked up the place
located at 342 E. Chestnut St.,
Lancaster. There were three
women sitting on the front porch.
Boyd sat on the bannister and
casually chatted with the women.
He said, “I walked away con
vinced dial Clare House was a
worthy cause."
The next day, Boyd called a
meeting with fellow bank officials.
He said, “For 20 years, we have
been committed to helping agricul
ture, but this goes beyond that.
This young girl epitomizes quali
ties of what 4-H is all about. It
shows community involvement,
caring, and sharing. Let’s support
the cause and be grateful for young
people like this in our society.”
Hamilton Bank decided to give
Kerra $1,075, the bid Boyd had
offered at the sale, for her to donate
to Clare House.
When Kerra heard about the
offer, she said. “I just think thatit’s
really special that buyers cared this
much to help. I really appreciate
both of them. I am so happy.”
Boyd said, “By doing this, the
bank did not want to take away
anything from the grand champion
winner. But this was a unique
cause. It merited the support it
received.”
Drumm, a board member for
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Clare House, hopes others will be judging team, which enabled the
inspired to give to the home for the team to raise another $550 for
homeless. He said, “I also hope traveling costs,
this brings attention to the good Boss’s also purchased the
4-H’ers do for the community.” 1,300-pound grand champion steer
Kerra, who is a sixth grader at from Casey High for $4,225, and
Mastersonville Elementary then donated it back to raise
School, had some other good another $1,250 for the Manheim
news. The day after the sale, she FFA scholarship fund,
was chosen as a junior high winner J • Omar Landis also contributed
at the county Ag Science Fair. to the FFA fund when they gave
In another unusual gesture at the back the grand champion lamb
Manheim Livestock Sale, Tracy after they had purchased it from
Bollinger, who is a member of the Mark Tracy for $518.95.
Lancaster County Meat’s Judging Adam Forry’s grand champion
Team, donated the money from her market hog sold to the record
market hog to the team, which breaking price of $6.50 per pound
includes Wendail Landis, Angie to Manheim Auto Auction. The
Erb, and Dwain Livengood. Since reserve champion hog sold for $6
the members won the state contest, P® r pound to Omar the Tent
they are eligible to compete Renter,
nationally at Kansas City, but they Th® reserve champion sheep,
need money to pay traveling costs, owned by Travis Donough, sold
Tracy’s 220-pound hog was pur- for $2.50 per pound to Walter
chased for $B5O by 20 buyers who Dunlap. Travis also owned the
pooled their money. Hoss’s Steak reserve champion steer, which
and Seafood House donated two of weighed 1,140 pounds and sold for
the pigs they purchased back to the $1.25 per poiind.
1992 Delp Award
Nominations Now Accepted
, 3. Be dedicated to the improve
ment of the agricultural communi
ty in Lancaster County.
Nomination forms are not car
ried forward from year to year, so
it is important to re-submit the
name/s of qualified individuals.
Nomination forms may be picked
up at The Lancaster Chamber of
Commerce and Industry, 100
South Queen Street, or by calling
Jay Howes at the Chamber,
397-3531. Deadline for submis
sion of nominations is Friday,
October 23, 1992.
If you have any questions or
need additional information, call
Jay Howes at 397-3531.
LANCASTER (Lane. Co.)
Nominations are currently being
accepted for the Chamber’s fourth
annual George C. Delp Award.
This award is made at the annual
Agriculture-Industry Banquet to a
Lancaster Countian who has been
influential in promoting agri
business within the Garden Spot.
To be eligible for nomination,
the individual must meet the fol
lowing criteria:
1. Be a resident of and/or work
in Lancaster County for at least
three years.
2. Project a positive community
image.
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