Farming, Saturday, November 12, 1994
‘Don’t Drink And Drive,’ Warns Speaker
At York Farm Women Convention
JOYCE BUPP
York Co. Correspondent
YORK (York Co.) —“I’m hand
icapped. What’s your problem?”
With that self-introduction as
his title, Perry County farmer
Danny Albright launched his pub
lic speaking debut before an audi
ence of more than 200 York
County Society of Farm Women
members. Before the articulate
30-year-old had finished his
"Danny’s Story,” he generated
tears, laughter and earned a stand
ing-ovation from the Farm Women
for his spunk and good humor.
Albright was the featured
speaker at the York Farm Wom
en’s 55th annual convention, held
November 4 at Wisehaven Hall.
Society members listened spell
bound as the wheelchair-bound
cattle broker related the chain of
events that changed his life forever.
The son of Ralph and Gladys
Albright, Landisburg, Danny grew
up as an almost constant compan
ion to his grandfather, Alfred. In
addition to the family’s Alrada
herd of registered Holstein cattle,
the Albrights operated a well
known cattle dealership.
“I got my first checkbook
when I was eight,” Danny related,
telling how he began buying
calves for his grandfather’s cus
tomers. Until they came to know
Danny, cattle auctioneers were
initially reluctant to acknowledge
bids from a child.
At ten years old, Danny recalls
accepting the Lord into his life
during services at the family’s
church, *‘not knowing the trial’s
I’d face later.”
Active in both 4-H and FFA,
Danny was a member of the state
4-H dairy judging team; and in
1981 took third-high individual
honor in youth dairy judging at
the World Dairy Expo in Madi
son, Wisconsin.
He spent two years in Califor
nia working on a large dairy oper
ation, returning to Perry County in
1989 to continue pursuing the fam
ily’s cattle dealership business.
While that enterprise was growing
well, Danny developed personal
problems.
“I got involved in drinking and
in drugs,” he flatly states.
In December of that year, just a
few months after buying himself a
sporty new car, Danny crashed it
on a bitterly-cold night on his way
home from partying after a partic
ularly successful cattle deal. Only
a mile and a half from his home,
Danny lay unconscious at the
accident until he was found at
4:30 the next morning. Tempera
tures had dipped into the teens and
hypothermia from hours of expo
sure had dropped Danny’s body
temperature to 80 degrees. And
the accident had broken his neck.
“I woke up in Harrisburg Hos
pital hooked to all kinds of
machines and people standing
around my bed crying,” he
remembered.
“And I wanted a second opin
ion,” he quipped, displaying the
humor and spunk that kept him
going through the ensuing six
months of hospitalization and
JTome stead
JTotes
physical therapy. Initially led to
believe that his paralysis injury
was “incomplete,” or temporary,
Danny was convinced he would
walk again. Doctors eventually
had to tell him that the injury was
not a reversible one.
“Don’t drink and drive,” is the
message that Danny hopes to
impress on others by sharing his
life-changing experiences of the
last five years. He has done a pub
lic service announcement for
Mothers Against Drunk Driving
(MADD) and friends are encour
aging him to further share his
message.
A licensed cattle dealer, Danny
attends sales usually at least three
days weekly. With the assistance
of a homemaker and two drivers,
along with family and friends, he
maintains his personal and busi
ness independence. A computer
helps him write and keep track of
records.
“I rededicated my life to God
laying on my hospital bed. God
has blessed me with a lot of good
people to help me,” he testified.
Along with Albright’s mes
sage, a spirit of giving to others
and a cheery sunflower theme fur
ther brightened the spirits of the
York Farm Women participating
in their annual gathering. Atten
dees piled several tables to over
flowing with contributions of non
perishable food items that were
packed for delivery to four York
County organizations which feed
the hungry. Recipients of the food
contributions were the Dover
Food Bank, Mason-Dixon Food
Bank, Lehman Center for families
in crisis, and Our Daily Bread
Food Kitchen.
Contributions of $550 each
were presented to the York Coun
ty 4-H Center and the York Coun
ty Literacy Council. The $l,lOO
of donations was generated through
chances sold on reproduction
coverlets and place mats woven
in the county by the David Kline
family. Using antique jacquard
looms, the Kline’s have woven
reproduction floor coverings and
coverlets for restored homes and
museums across the country.
President Carolyn Neal presided
over the re-election of the coun-
ty’s treasurer, Treva Stiles, Group
18. Other officers for 1995 are
Arlene Keener, vice president, Lois
Manifold, second vice president,
and secretary Trudy Reichard.
State Dorothy Strickler
installed the county and group
officers and announced in her
report the date of the 1995 Spring
Rally as May 23.
In her compiled group report,
vice president Arlene Keener noted
that York County presently has
36 active Farm Women societies
and 1 inactive, with a total of 485
members. Collectively, the 36
groups donated more than $4,600
to various community and chari
table causes through the past 12
months.
Five 90-year-old members and
16 who turned 80 years old dur
ing the year received special pins
of recognition. Recipients of the
90-year awards were Beatrice
Leib, Group 4, Mary Wise, Group
12, Sara Myers, Group 17, Lula
Rennol), Group 20 and Pansy
Leibhart, Group 25.
Awards for 80-year-olds went
to: Grace Sturfip, Group 5; Irene
Rentzel, Helen Bentz and Mary
Rohler, Group 7; Viola M. Hauer
and Eleanor Mummert, Group 8;
Esther Dehoff and Ruth Gable,
Group 9; Edith Slenker, Group
10; Kathryn Shultz, Group 12;
Ruth May and Ruth Hobbs,
Group 14; Effie King, Group 15;
Margaret Bailey and Estelle
Dellinger, Group 20; and Kathryn
Resline, Group 25.
Fourteen members who died in
the preceding year were memor
alized in a service of scripture and
floral presentation remembrances.
Remembered during the ceremo
ny were Estella Crowl and Amy
Miller, Group 1; Donna Jones and
Mildred Fink, Group 5; Ethel
Gross, Group 6; Ruth Runkle and
Beatrice Bacon, Group 12; Vir
ginia Halbalch and Doretha
Peters, Group 14; Ruth McCurdy,
Group 17; Helen Smith, Group
18; Evelyn Stock and Margaret
Johnson, Group 27, and Yetta
Grove, Group 21.
York Farm Women officers gather around a basket rounded full of glasses, deco
rated with their convention theme of sunflowers. From left are Trudy Reicharcl, secre
tary; Lois Manifold, second vice president; Arlene Keener, vice president; Treva
Stiles, treasurer, and Carolyn Neal, president.
Packing up donations for the hungry were York County Society of Farm Women
members, from left, Shirley Wright, Group 33, Nancy Knaub, Group 32, Loretta Baus
tian, Group 16, and Betty Brodbeck, Group 14.
“Don’t drink and drive,” is the message of Perry County
cattle dealer Danny Albright. He shared with York Farm
Women his story of recuperation, rehabilitation and rededi
catlon of his life to God after his neck was broken in an
' lie accidi 'fh
Carolyn Neal, right, president of the York County Society
of Farm Women, presented checks of $550 each to Lois
Rankin, let representing the York County 4-H, and Nancy