GAY BROWNLEE
Somerset Co. Correspondent
MEYERSDALE (Somerset
Co.) Frankie Hamer, 13, from
Staten Island. New York City, and
Pedro Alicea, 8, from Manhattan,
New York City, were absolute
strangers Antil early July.
Now they are almost like bro
thers. That’s because through the
Fresh Air Fund, they spent two
weeks of summer vacation togeth
er at the farm of Elmer and Sara
Yoder.
For Pedro, it was his first time
ever in the country. He had never
seen a farm or farm animals.
But for Frankie, it was his third
vacation with the Yoders, even
though their two daughters are
adults with very young children of
their own.
Mrs. Yoder says the Frankie
and Pedro enjoyed the farm so
Pirate, the farm dog is a favorite with Frankie Hamer, 13
and Pedro Alicea, 8, who are playing with him on the grass.
The boys are at the Elmer and Sara Yoder farm, Meyers
dale, Somerset County. They live in New York City but
came on vacation through Fresh Air Fund.
This week-old Guernsey calf won’t hold still for the camera. Trying to steady him
are Ganene Yoder, Frankie Hamer, 13, Sara Yoder, and Pedro Alicea in front of Sara.
Frankie and Pedro are Fresh Air kids on a vacation at Elmer and Sara Yoder’s farm
near Meyersdale, Somerset County.
City Kids Vacation On The Farm
much that they were never bored.
She and Mr. Yoder didn’t have to
plan any special entertainment,
she said.
Just like farm kids, Frankie and
Pedro ran around in their bare feet,
except when they helped with
chores at milking time.
‘They wear shoes in the bam
because it’s kind of dirty there,”
said Mrs. Yoder.
“My favorite thing is to be with
Pirate,” said Frankie. “I wish I
could take him back with me.”
Pirate is the big, burly farm dog
that was the favorite playmate of
both city boys for romping in the
big back yard.
Pedro begged to take the cat
home when he left on Tuesday,
July 19. That was the day all the
Fresh Air Fund kids in the area
were boarding two buses at the
Maple Glen Mennonite Church in
A big farm tractor is a fascinating machine especially if you’ve never seen one in
your whole life, like Pedro Alicea. 8, from New York City. He’s in the cab at the steer
ing wheel. Standing are Elmer Yoder, left and Frankie Hamer, aged 13, also from New
York City. The boys are having a farm vacation through the Fresh Air Fund.
Grantsville, Md., for a long ride
home.
Then Frankie reminded Pedro
that since the cat was a farm cat, it
might not like living in the city.
The boys also liked milking the
coes. It was their next favorite
thing to playing with Pirate, they
said. The Yoders milk 70 Guern
sey cows and have 60 heifers.
Frankie made everybody laugh
when he teased the Yoders. “The
reason they put up the Fresh Air
Fund is to have help on the farm,”
he said, mischievously.
Pedro was unable to sit still.
When Elmer let him sit in the big,
big cab of the orange tractor, Ped
ro looked like the king driver in
charge of the parked machine.
He has three sisters and two
brothers. One sister is Pedro’s
twin. She was with a different
Fresh Air Fund family while he
was with the Yoders.
Mrs. Yoder said that Frankie’s
mother has visited the farm twice.
Mrs. Hamer wanted to meet the
folks who took care of her kids
(Frankie’s sisters used to come)
for two weeks. She wanted to sec
the farm where they lived.
An adorable Guernsey calf was
bom during the boys’ vacation at
the Yoders. When it came time to
take a picture of the boys and the
calf, it wanted to frolic instead of
standing still.
Mr. and Mrs. Yoder have host
ed Fresh Air Fund kids for 12
years. Mrs. Yoder is on the com
mittee that matches the Fresh Air
kids with host families. The head
person is named Alice Orendorf.
Mrs. Orendorf said sometimes a
family will take Fresh Air Fund
kids only one year. Then they quit.
Mrs. Orendorf said she wishes
many more families would host
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Now many children arc using
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The 100 grand prize winners
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****************************
Colorful Ideas
the children from New York City.
She said it’s very important to get
the children out of the city. The
parents want their children to have
the experience, she said.
If you know someone who
would host a child in 1995 they
can call this telephone number:
1-800-367-0003. This number
will connect them to the Fresh Air
Fund in New York City. The peo
pel there will suggest which Fresh
Air Fund “Friendly Town” coor
dinator to contact
The Fresh Air Fund is quite old,
more than 100 years. It provides
vacations with volunteer families
in 13 states from Virginia and
north to Canada.
If you like making new friends,
maybe the Fresh Air Fund can
help you make a great new friend
in New Yoik City.
Oh, by the way, you don’t have
to live on a farm to be a Fresh Air
Fund host family. They live in
smaller cities and towns as well as
in the country.
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being clearly marked, sturdy and
color-true. The company’s mark
ers don’t bleed through paper,
squeak or smell. Every child who
enters receives a Camp Cookie
iron-on suitable for T-shirts.
The entery form can be found
on the back panel of boxes of
Bugs Bunny and Teddy Grahams
cookies. These carry scenes from
Camp Cookie for the child to color
and send in to the address on the
box.