BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Over 200 volunteers from Upside Academy spent Saturday painting livestock pens at the Kern County Fairgrounds, preparing the facilities for the county's biggest annual event.
The non-profit organization, which provides volunteer and community service opportunities for Kern County young adults, organized the community service project as the clock ticks closer to the Kern County Fair opening on September 17.
In just a few weeks, the freshly painted pens will house animals raised by FFA and 4-H members from across the county.
For Janessa Charles, a freshman at Highland High School and FFA member who hopes to show a goat next year, the volunteer opportunity came without knowing exactly what the work would involve.
"It was just like, a good opportunity to come out here and just serve the community, and just to have a new experience, because I've never done this before. So it was just like, oh, like, I like to experience new things, and this was something new I could experience," Charles said.
Katie Johnson, one of the event coordinators, said the community service project helps reduce the workload for students who already dedicate significant time and effort to raising their animals throughout the year.
"I remember being FFA and I would have to paint my own goat pens, but now we have kids from all over the county being able to give back, because FFA and 4-H they're already working so hard throughout the year to try to raise their animals here at the Kern County Fair, and so this is one less thing off their plate, and we're just so happy to give back to our community," Johnson said.
The painted pens will be on display when the Kern County Fair opens on September 17 at the Kern County Fairgrounds.
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