They helped out at the Merced County Fair’s booth at the Cap & Town Event in Downtown Merced, greeting the community, helping out at a game for kids and getting the word out that the fair is in June.

The 2010 Merced County Fair Junior Fair Board’s 11 members have been working all year getting ready for the fair, June 15-20. Their responsibilities include assisting with pre-fair planning, set-up and helping during the fair. At fairtime, they work at the fair’s Information Booth, providing directions and answering questions, leading children’s groups around the fairgrounds during the School Tours and taking part in the Friends Helping Friends event.

Sarah Reel, a sophomore at Buhach Colony High School, Lauren Scales, a senior at Golden Valley High School and April Summer, a junior at Golden Valley, are all serving in their second year on the board. New to the board this year are: Mykayla Macias, a freshman at Buhach Colony, Scott Diele, a freshman at Golden Valley, Allison Hill, a senior at Golden Valley, Elecsias Carrasco, a sophomore at Merced High School and Christine Viney, Robert Morrow, Danielle Dodson and Trevor Surrock, all sophomores at Buhach Colony.

The board’s advisors are Alicia Mercado and Carol Dietz.

Sarah Reel will be extra busy at this year’s fair juggling Junior Fair Board duties and showing her pig as a member of Buhach Colony Highs’ FFA team. After making a lot of new friends her first year on the board, she applied for a second term because she enjoys meeting new people. “I like being able to be a part of the fair and saying that I helped out. It’s fun,” she said.

Trevor Surrock is counting the days to his first fair as a Junior Fair Board member. He’s excited about helping out at the “Cutest Duckling Contest” and with the School Tours, the one-day event that invites kids enrolled in summer programs to visit the fair for a behind-the-scenes tour before the fair gates open.

Christine Viney is a big fan of the fair and is loving her experience on the Junior Fair Board. “I wanted to take a more active role in our community,” she said, adding, “I’m really enjoying the chance to talk to people my own age who want to help out more in the community.”

Being involved in planning and preparation for the fair has shown her there’s a lot that goes in to making the fair happen. “I learned the fair is a waaaaaaay bigger production than I thought. There’s a lot more going on behind the scenes than people know.”

Her favorite thing to do at the fair is people-watching, “I like to see people from all different backgrounds all enjoying something together,” she said, adding she does her best people-watching while eating “chocolate dipped cheesecake-on-a-stick.”

Alicia Mercado, 31, is enjoying her first year as one of the group’s advisors. She has many fond memories of going to the fair when she was growing up. Six fairs ago she worked at the fairgrounds in a temporary position helping out with building rentals. “I fell in love with the fair. It’s so much fun and so exciting -- anticipating the fair coming. During the fair, it’s long hours and hard work but it’s really fun.”

Now she works full-time as a patient care coordinator at McDonald’s Hearing Aid Center and is newly married with three stepchildren. But when she heard the Junior Fair Board needed an advisor, she said, “I want to be part of the fair again and help out kids any way I can.” She’s enthusiastic about her new role at the fair. “The Junior Fair Board is a good bunch of kids,” Mercado said. “All of them are very focused and seem to know what they want to do with their lives and they want to be involved.”

The teens volunteer their time and talents for a year. Candidates must live in Merced County and be 14 to 19 years of age as of Jan. 1. A GPA of 2.0 or above is required to be eligible to volunteer. Serving on the board helps fulfill high school community service requirements.

Presented by the 35th District Agricultural Association, the 119th annual fair’s theme is “Wetlands, Water and Wildlife.” For more information call (209) 722-1507, fax at (209) 722-3773 or email to Info@MercedCountyFair.com. Visit the 2010 Merced County Fair’s website, www.MercedCountyFair.com and connect with us – find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

[Visit the Junior Fair Board page]