Booths at Johnson County Fair offer treats plus fundraisers for local organizations

The booths have become staples of the Johnson County Fair and the organizations they support over the years.

The Johnson County 4-H and Agricultural Fair has always been a way to support local agriculture and 4-H groups. But as the fair has evolved over the decades, so too have the ways the fair supports local organizations.

For many local groups, the fair is a fundraiser, allowing them to spread the word about their work while serving delicious treats, drinks and more. Monies collected during these efforts stay in the community and help Johnson County residents in various ways.

Here’s a look at four such efforts that have become an annual tradition at the fair: homemade ice cream from Indian Creek FFA, lemon shake-ups from Gateway Services, beaver tails from the Center Grove Optimists Club and ice sales by Whiteland FFA.

Homemade ice cream

Indian Creek FFA has sold homemade ice cream at the fair for nearly half a century. The dessert is served with a variety of free toppings, including chocolate, caramel, butterscotch and strawberry syrups.

Money made from the sales will fund the program, scholarships, transportation for contests and more, said Isabella Wallace, student advisor. The 17-year-old was recently elected student advisor and has been involved with FFA since eighth grade, she said.

Wallace enjoys working at the fair and tries to be at the Indian Creek booth as much as she can. She also is showing pigs and has to divide time between the two, she said.

“All my friends who work here, we just have a lot of fun doing this,” Wallace said.

The work is divided up among the students. People are assigned to make the ice cream, do the dishes and collect payments, Wallace said. Their FFA advisors are also nearby to assist as needed.

Wallace could not remember how much Indian Creek FFA raised last year, but every year the group tries to beat the previous year’s number.

“Either way, it is what it is like we just enjoy coming here and doing this. I mean it’s a tradition and everybody looks forward to coming here every year.”

FFA is important because they are advocating for agriculture. Many members have their own animals and farms, for example, but people don’t have to do those things to take part in FFA, she said.

“It’s just important for everybody to learn about agriculture even though you’re not involved in it with your family,” she said. “You don’t have to be born into it to be in FFA.”

For those who don’t want ice cream or want to give a little extra, donations are also accepted, she said.

Lemon shake-ups

The lemon shake-ups at the Gateway Services tent have been a long-time tradition at the fair, powered by volunteers from groups and businesses across Johnson County.

Gateway Services started its first lemon shake-up stand in 1972, but new flavors are added each year to make it fresh. This year’s new flavor is raspberry, which was chosen by the public after nearly a month of voting, along with the traditional flavors of lemon and strawberry.

People who stop by the tent this week can donate to cast their vote for what next year’s new flavor should be: Arnold Palmer, cherry or mango. They can also donate $20 to get a T-shirt or sign up for a giveaway to win a $25 gift card.

Proceeds from the shakeups are part of the funding used for a $68,616 local match of federal funding Access Johnson County buses, which provide public transportation throughout the county. They are also used to help fund Gateway’s mission of assisting people with disabilities by offering employment programs, respite services, community outings and more, organizers previously said.

Proceeds from the new flavor are part of the organization’s fundraising for their upcoming appearance on Dancing with the Johnson County Stars. Their goal this year is to raise money to resurface their parking lot and install new flooring for the day room that serves county residents with disabilities.

On Monday morning, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Johnson County were working the stand and making the popular beverage that mixes freshly squeezed lemons, granulated sugar and water. The group has volunteered at the stand for several years, bringing their seventh and eighth graders out to volunteer for a few hours, said Aubrey Buchanan, program director for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Johnson County.

“The kids love it,” Buchanan said. “They think it’s the best thing in the entire world to come out and make these lemon shakeups for people. They think it’s the funnest thing in the world.”

13-year-old Hope Gunn found helping at the stand “fun” and was happy it was going to a good cause. By 11:30 a.m. Monday, they had already made 30 shake-ups, she said.

“I didn’t think there was gonna be a lot of people,” Gunn said.

Like Gateway Services, the Boys and Girls Club is a nonprofit. Being able to support another nonprofit is a positive, especially since they can help gather donations for Gateway, Buchanan said.

It also helps the club’s members too.

“I’d just like to say thank you to Gateway for letting us come out and do this because it’s a great opportunity for our teenagers and as the program director, running programs through the Boys and Girls Club, this is great for our teenagers to kind of get the experience of what working in a job is like,” she said.

Beaver tails

Since 1984, the Center Grove Optimist Club has sold beaver tails — a popular, doughy treat similar to an elephant ear but made with more yeast for a fluffier, donut-like texture. The Optimists are an international group that helps youth in different ways. In the case of the Center Grove Club, raise money to help the youth of Johnson County, said Don Good, a member of the club and a longtime volunteer.

Profits from the beaver tail sales go to the service club, which uses them to support causes like the Good Cheer Fund, which provides food for people in need during the holiday season, Shop with a Cop, which gives Christmas gifts to underprivileged youth, and local Boy Scout troops. The club also funds three scholarships for area students, Good said.

They typically raise about $16,000 during fair week. The community loves the food and the fundraiser, he said.

“We have a lot of people come back just for the beaver tails,” Good said.

When they started, they didn’t want to compete with elephant ears, he said. Then they hatched the idea of a beaver tail, which is roughly the size of a canned ham, adding yeast into the mix and putting cinnamon and sugar on top.

In the past, club members were the ones mainly serving up beaver tails. Now they have volunteers from local Boy Scout troops working the trailer too.

“We do get groups that help us run the trailer because we don’t have enough members to actually do it ourselves anymore,” he said.

On Sunday, they had a foster parent group helping out, but for the rest of the week it will be different scout troops from Johnson and Marion counties: Boy Scout Troops 139, 249 and 621, Good said. On Monday, Troop 139 was serving up the doughy delicacy.

13-year-old Aidan Brumfield, of Troop 139, feels good about helping out the optimist club.

“It just like helps them and just helps the community that they support,” he said.

Andrea Brumfield, Aidan’s mother and a committee member for Troop 139, said the troop helps out every year not only to help the club but because a portion of the proceeds goes back to the troop. The funds pay for summer camp and other Scout activities they wouldn’t otherwise have the chance to do, she said.

Everyone looks forward to helping out each year, Andrea Brumfield added.

“It’s always a great time. We look forward to it,” she said. “Our kids love it, to help out themselves and the community and other other troops and other organizations, to be able to help out the Johnson County community.”

Ice sales

Whiteland FFA’s fundraiser does not offer a food product, per se, but it does make many of the food and drink sales possible at the fair.

They sell bags of ice, which is the biggest fundraiser for the chapter, Advisor Hannah Goeb said.

A volunteer takes orders for the ice from vendors across the fairgrounds and dispatches a group of FFA students to deliver them. It’s a common sight at the fairgrounds, especially on Monday — the students drive a small tractor with a wagon that says “Whiteland FFA” on the back.

17-year-old Eli Taylor, who has been part of Whiteland FFA for three years, was one of the students taking part in the ice sales Monday morning. He enjoyed taking part, he said.

“It’s fun. I like driving the mower,” said Taylor, before he had to quickly go drop off ice at a lemon shake-up stand with a classmate.

Some people pay cash, while others have an account on file, said Todd Kunz, a volunteer who was manning the stand on Monday morning. While it was slow on Monday morning, he didn’t expect it to last long.

“When it gets busy, they’re constantly running,” Kunz said.

Funds from the ice sales mainly go toward taking students to the National FFA Convention and Expo each fall, but also assist with paying for student registrations and activity fees. Because Whiteland FFA has students competing in some national contests this year, proceeds will assist with competition fees and resources as well, Goeb said.

“Any student that wants to attend the National FFA Convention is required to work two shifts in the ice sales booth,” she said. “We love this fundraiser because it teaches students the value of hard work and rewards them for their efforts.”