If the Pratt County Fair runs smoothly, it’s because a lot of volunteers have done their jobs well. If there are problems, Chris Eubank may be the person who has to deal with them.
“If I can’t fix it I’ll find someone who can,” said Eubank, who is president of the Pratt County Fair Board of Directors.
The job actually started last January, when several directors attended a fair convention in Topeka to select entertainment. The directors weren’t looking for anything in particular, just “whatever grabs our eye,” according to Eubank. They selected Cori Jo and the Outlaw Junkies, a band that has played the fair before, with a new lead vocalist.
Eubank has spent a lot of time at the fairgrounds for the past week, making sure buildings are in shape, lights work and water turns on. On Wednesday, he woke up at home. From today on, he’ll be pretty much a full-time resident, staying in a trailer south of the livestock area, going home occasionally to take care of farming duties.
With livestock shows beginning in earnest today, Eubank and a team of superintendents, many of whom have worked for many years, were on the job early and may still be taking care of details at midnight.
As perks of the position, the fair president gets to buzz around the fairgrounds in a golf cart, and he will receive the prize-winning entry in the Fair President’s Cookie Jar contest, made this year by the Lincoln Climbers 4-H Club.
Why does he do it?
“I don’t know,” he admits, but adds, “I enjoy it. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”
He, along with his two brothers, is a second-generation Pratt County 4-H’er.
The fair association holds elections, usually in December, and most of the time the job of president is a one-year commitment. There has been an effort in recent years to involve some younger people in leadership roles.
