Volunteers host food pickup for families at Johnson County Fairgrounds

FRANKLIN, Ind. (WISH) — Johnson County won’t have a fair in 2020 because of the COVID-19 crisis, but organizers are still making their presence felt in the community.

The Johnson County Farm Bureau, the Johnson County Beef Cattle Association and the Johnson County Community Foundation worked together to host a drive-thru food pickup for families in need.

Farm Bureau Vice President David Harrell spoke about what inspired them to have the event.

“We know people right in our hometown are hurting,” Harrell said.

The organizations only took 10 days to put the entire event together. Harrell started off uncertain of how many people would show up, but his question was answered more than an hour before the food pickup started.

“It was really a blessing to see,” Harrell said. “We knew at that point that we had gotten the word out, that people knew this event was going on, and that’s usually the hardest thing, is making sure people show up and take advantage of something like this.”

Volunteers handed out fresh produce and Keegan Poe, with the Johnson Beef Cattle Association, says his organization was happy to provide a to-go lunch that will give fair fans a taste of the county fair that was canceled because of COVID-19.

“Folks who are missing out on the county fair, they can come by and get their burger like they normally do,” Poe said.

They grilled burgers for the drivers, each patty at a third of a pound, just like they would’ve served at the fair, as a part of a to-go lunch. Poe says it was all to give people in the community something to look forward to in uncertain times.

“We’re just trying to help out where we can here in a short amount of time,” Poe said.