HO-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 13, 2002 B £id s * Rome i*» 1 Children Welcome To Participate In Tri-State Relief Sale July 19-20 SANDRA LEPLEY Somerset Co. Correspondent GARRETT, Md. “Abe the Giant Penny” will be a part of this year’s Tri-State Relief Sale, a Mennonite Central Committee fund-raiser conducted Friday and Saturday, July 19 and 20, at the Garrett County (Md.) Fair grounds at Deep Creek Lake. Dale Miller (left), Harris on City, treasurer for the Tri-State Relief Sale, to be conducted Friday and Sat urday, July 19 and 20, at the Garrett County (Md.) Fairgrounds near Deep Creek Lake, helps Isaac Tice of Salisbury in Somer set County onto “Abe the Giant Penny” at last year’s sale. Young Tice and Willis Beitzel of Bittinger, Md., will present a special pro gram on giving at the Tri- State Sale, which has been conducted for the past four year? as an effort to raise funds for the Mennonite Central Committee. Farm Safety Day Camp Draws Over 140 Children BEAVER SPRINGS (Snyder Co.) According to the West Snyder FFA Chapter, over 140 community children learned how to identify and deal with hazards on the farm June 27, at the Bea ver Community Fairgrounds. West Snyder FFA Chapter’s Progressive Farmer Farm Safety Day Camp drew children be tween the ages of three to 12 from throughout the community for a day-long event. Children learned how to take Derek Fetterolf, 2002-2003 president of the West Snyder FFA Chapter, demonstrates to the campers at the West Snyder FFA and Progressive Farmer Safety Day Camp “How to make a keychain to hold earplugs.” Derek demonstrated the importance of wearing earplugs, eye protection, steel-toed shoes, and a hard hat at his Per sonal Protective Devices station. Willis Beitzel of Bittinger, Md., and his young assistant Isaac Tice of Salisbury in Somerset County travel to different churches throughout their areas using “Abe” as a teaching and fund-raising tool. In addition to the giant benefit auction on Saturday, conducted for the past four years at the fair grounds, children of all ages and adults too will be counting all the coins saved during the year and sending the funds collected to help with water projects through out the world, such as building cisterns and providing clean water. “Some churches and youth groups take offerings and collect all year long,” explained Harriet Berg of the Somerset area, publi cist for the event. “All day long at the sale on Saturday, there is a coin counter provided for the children to count coins. Adults really love it too with the giant penny. It’s a fun presentation and brings the whole project to life.” While their coins are being counted, children can take rides in the penny, wearing a motorcy cle helmet and a seat-belt. “Abe” is located in the Kids Activity Center, which allows children to play board games and participate in several activities, such as “shoots and ladders,” and different craft areas where they can do things such as quilt ing. In the movie theater area of the children’s area, which is actu ally a tent, children can buy some popcorn, watch videos about chil dren around world, and relax. responsibility for their own safe ty, respect parents’ safety rules, and share safety tips with their family and friends, said Mrs. Cynthia Shaffer, West Snyder FFA adviser and coordinator of the event. Samuel E. Hayes, Pa. Secre tary of Agriculture, was present to welcome the group of children and West Snyder FFA members. Secretary Hayes told the children “Without safety, it’s very hard to have fim. It’s very important to Children can also get their photo taken on a computer printout and attach it to a greeting card. And, they can also dress up like children from different countries. Children also stuff health kits and school kits for other children in Third World countries. Health kits include things such as finger nail clippers, wash cloths, tooth paste, toothbrushes, soap and a hand towel. School kits include notebooks, pencils, rulers, erasers and other educational items. In addition, children ages 12 and under will have their own auction from 11 a.m. to noon Sat urday. Toys, books, backpacks and other items, all of which will be new and have been donated, will be auctioned off. “Parents are encouraged to at tend the auction with their chil dren so the younger ones learn about the process as well as how important it is to help others through the sale,” said Berg. “These children learn about the auction process and the giv ing process, not just the getting process, but giving to world relief projects. The sale allows families to come together and have fun as well as serve a greater cause.” Diane Holsopple of Hollsopple in northern Somerset County, serves as auctioneer and coordi nator for the children’s auction. She and her husband, Ernest, helped begin the Tri-State Relief Sale in 1998. This is the fourth year for the annual event. The Holsopples have traveled to other relief sales throughout the U.S. Ernest has served as a volunteer auctioneer for many of the sales. He had done some protect our hands, our feet, our legs, our eyes, and our ears.” Dr. Merril Arnold, superinten dent of Midd-West School Dis trict, also reminded the children of the importance of being safe on the farms that are fun, but can also be dangerous. Hands-on experiences led by members of the West Snyder FT A Chapter taught camp par ticipants lifetime farm safety les sons. Over time, Mrs. Shaffer said that she hopes that by sharing and applying the lessons learned at camp, participants will help reduce the number of rural chil dren who die or are injured in farm accidents. The West Snyder FFA and Progressive Fanner Farm Safety Day Camp was sponsored na tionally by Shell Lubricants, Farm Plan, Pioneer Hi-Bred In ternational, Inc., Dupont Agri cultural Products, Cargill, Inc., Agco, As grow Seed Company, The Phillip Morris Family of Companies, State Farm Insur ance Companies, Case IH, Farm Credit System Foundation, Inc., CHS Cooperative Foundation, Agrium, Inc., Potash Corp., Farmland Insurance/Nation wide Agribusiness, Mac Don In dustries, Ltd., National Chil dren’s Center for Rural and Agri cultural Health and Safety, and Progressive Farmer Magazine. Throughout the day, the 140-camp participants rotated through 10 safety stations. Each More than 50 quilts and wall hangings, In addition 130 handcrafted items, will be auctioned off at the Tri-State Relief Sale on July 19 and 20 at the Garrett County (Md.) Fairgrounds. At the children’s activity center (pictured here), children of all ages can come and participate in crafts, including quilting. work locally with a sale out of the Richland Mall in Johnstown in Cambria County for several years. After the mall closed, the Holsopples thought this area was a prime location for a relief sale. The Tri-State Relief Sale is one of 46 relief sales in the U.S. and Canada, raising funds for the Mennonite Central Committee, an organization founded in 1920 and dedicated to helping people suffering from poverty, oppres sion and natural disasters. “This is such a great cause and the joy of giving is rewarding,” said Berg. “This is a way to help others who are in need in foreign countries or who have suffered disasters in the United States and aboard.” Berg also explained that the group of approximately 14 camp ers each were led to the stations by members of the West Snyder Jr. High FFA Chapter, Sr. High FFA Chapter, and the Middle burg Boy Scouts. The West Snyd er Senior High FFA members conducted the safety presenta tions for the campers. At the Basic First Aid station, FFA members Tiffany Esben shade and Jenna Briggs ex plained how to bandage a wound. Each camp participant also as sembled their own first aid kit. At the Chemical Safety station, FFA alumnus Jennifer McWil liams and Heidi Good explained the similarities between house hold chemicals and certain food and candy products. At the Gun Safety station. Wildlife Conservation Officer Harold Malhorn, with the assist ance of FFA members Tyler Mill er and Jeremy Roush taught gun safety to the campers. Campers mack their own ear plug key chain at the Personal Protective Devices station. FFA member Derek Fetterolf also demonstrated the value of wear ing safety glasses, steel-toed shoes, and a hard hat at this sta tion. Each camp participant was professionally fitted for their own bike helmet by Theresa Lacianca from the North Central Highway Network, Inc. While campers were fitted for their bike helmet, FFA member Victoria Adams ex- sale brings together several hun dred volunteers from about 20 churches in the Pennsylvania, Maryland, and West Virginia. The bidding begins at 10 a.m. with more than 180 up for sale. The giant benefit auction will feature over 50 handmade quilts and wall hangings, handcrafted furniture, such as bentwood hick ory rockers, cherry Shaker tables, an oak king-sized headboard, limited edition prints by P. Buck ley Moss, glassware by Lenox, Simon Pearce, and L.E. Smith. “We truly have beautiful, high quality handcrafted products here at the sale,” she stressed. “These are items that buyers would have to search for at local stores and shops but they are all here for their purchase. It’s a buyer’s paradise.” plained to the participants other aspects of bike safety. Doug Hollenbach and Steve Yakamook, West Snyder FFA members, conducted the ATV and lawn mower safety station. The participants were able to view the safe and unsafe parts of the equipment. FFA Alumni Maria Trego demonstrated water safety. Each camper tried on a life vest as they learned the importance of wear ing one at all times while boating. At the animal safety station, FFA members Hannah Etzler and Amanda Shaffer explained how and when to safely approach an animal. Each participant practiced their skills with live cows. Paul Saylor of the Beavertown Fire Company volunteered to give the participants a “tour” of the fire truck. He also explained the equipment that a fireman uses to fight the fires. FFA member Phaedra Wray explained the importance of hav ing an escape route, using smoke alarms, and how to “stop,-drop, and roll.” Each participant re ceived their own smoke alarm. At the farm equipment safety station, FFA members Jeremy Waite and Shane Kreamer ex plained how difficult it is to see small children while operating a tractor. Participants were able to climb up on a tractor and try to locate others around the equip ment. / *