When three young members of the Potter County Fair family were among five young people to lose their lives in a tragic fire in April, the board of directors wanted to do something in their memory.
The board was approached by a 15-year-old 4-H/FFA member asking about donating one of her lambs for a fund, and the idea for a scholarship in the memory of brothers Raymond, Tristan and Evan Erway of Genesee grew from there.
The base funding of the scholarship will be provided from the sale of a lamb, pig, goat, meat pen of rabbits, feeder steer and registered dairy calf to be sold at the Junior Livestock Sale held Aug. 5 at 7 p.m. Anyone can donate at one of the drop off containers during fair week or at the fair office.
Donations can also be sent to Potter County Fair Association, c/o Marsha Prince, treasurer, 1151 Eleven Mile Road, Shinglehouse, Pa., 16748.
The 86th Potter County Fair is set for July 31-Aug. 6 at the fairgrounds in Millport.
All three boys were active in FFA and 4-H with projects ranging from goats and rabbits to chickens and cavy (Guinea pigs). Raymond and Tristan each showed their animals at the Allegany and Potter County fairs each summer and had earned many awards. They also showed animals several times at the New York State Fair and both had taken part in FFA national conventions.
The Erway brothers, who were students of Northern Potter High School, were also remembered by the Allegany County (N.Y.) Fair board of directors on Sunday during the annual vesper service to open fair week in Angelica.
Each year the board selects individuals or couples to dedicate the fair to and presents them with specially made wooden benches with the honorees’ names inscribed on them. The benches are then installed on the fairgrounds during fair week and then stored until the next fair.
On Sunday, board president Harry Hurd took the microphone and said, “This is probably the hardest thing this fair has ever gone through. Earlier this year we lost five 4-H children all of whom participated in this fair. Now they have a bench that honors them and will be a memorial to them on the fairgrounds for years to come.”
The 4-H’rs, the Erway brothers and Mikalah Roulo, their cousin, and friend Krysta Kane, were staying at the Charles and Michele Erway home in Genesee on April 11 when the home caught fire early in the morning. The Erways attempted to save the children, who were in the basement of the home, and suffered life-threatening injuries as a result. The children could not escape.
Michele Erway, who was hospitalized in critical condition for several weeks, and Charles Erway, who was also hospitalized with his injuries, attended the vesper service, holding each other as the bench was revealed.
Following the dedication, the Genesee Valley Chorus sang “Let There Be Peace on Earth.”
