MOUNT VERNON — Sale day at the Knox County Fair is a day when individuals and businesses in the community dig deep to help out area youths. On Thursday, those groups surprised even themselves with their generosity.
Grand and reserve champions in 11 animal species received large amounts during the auction held at the fair, but it was two area youths who didn’t have champions who were shown the biggest prize.
Will and Abbey Smith were injured recently in an accident in Nebraska and weren’t able to show their hogs at the fair. Other 4-H’ers stepped up and showed their hogs in their place, then on Thursday, the community stepped up even more.
Brenneman Lumber paid $45 per pound for a 270-pound hog raised by Will Smith. Doug Brenneman said Will is a good friend of his son, Matt, and the Brennemans just wanted to do something to help the Smiths out in this difficult situation.
“I don’t like all the big fuss about us,” Brenneman continued. “Normally, at the fair, we will buy a steer and maybe a couple of hogs. This year, we just kind of took the money we normally would have used to buy a few different animals and put it toward this one.
