BUFFALO, N.Y. — Volunteers from Buffalo and Rochester are taking time to stand next to colorful carts featuring positive messages and Bible-based literature.
Scot and Anita Fagan of East Aurora have been attending the Erie County Fair since they were kids.
“As a kid, you just loved it. There was an excitement and happiness,” Anita said.
Scot Fagan said as a child he would march with his "trombone behind my dad in the opening Erie County Fair pageantry.” This year he is attending and waving at fairgoers while standing next to a literature cart.
The Fagans are Jehovah’s Witnesses. The organization paused their door-to-door ministry due to the COVID pandemic.
In 2014, the religious group started offering their literature at two carts in one location inside the Erie County Fair. During the 2019 Fair, 32 carts were on display.
Jeremy Bus of Hamburg helped organize the carts appearing around the Fair which feature a sign with the question ‘Peace — When?’ He is happy to bring a positive message to the community. “In the Buffalo area, peace has been shattered,” he said. “It took a tremendous amount of effort by hundreds of people to organize and give our neighbors the opportunity to see a message of peace.”
More than 1 million people are expected to attend the fair in 2022.
Over 1,700 volunteers will take part in standing next to 90 carts at various times and locations near the fairgrounds.
“While we understand that the pandemic is not over, we’re entering into a phase of learning to live with COVID,” said Robert Hendriks, U.S. spokesperson for Jehovah’s Witnesses.
“That means we need to find more ways to personally interact with our neighbors. Being out in the community and having conversations with our neighbors is accomplishing that goal.”
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