Score a stack for Specials

The fair is a special time of year in Warren County and McMinnville Special Games wants to make sure those with special needs are able to share in the fun. Those with a hankering for pancakes can help make that effort a reality.

For the second year, the McMinnville Special Games food both at the end of the Clifford McClain Grandstands will hold a Special Pancake Breakfast on the first Saturday of the Warren County Agriculture & Livestock Fair, Sept. 6.

From 7-10:30 a.m. plates of pancakes with a choice of Goolsby's Sausage or thick-cut crispy bacon will be available for $8. Proceeds from the breakfast will help pay for lunches on Special Needs Day at the fair.

"We also offer to-go plates, coffee, tea, lemonade and all the Dr Pepper products available at the fair," McMinnville Special Games Executive Director Holly McBride said. "Our amazing volunteers work so hard during the nine days at the fair and, of course, this adds more work. But they are more than willing to help because the proceeds of this Pancake Breakfast go towards Special Needs Day."

The fair has held Special Needs Day for several years and, in the past few years, MSG has gotten involved to ensure each participant is able to enjoy fair food, without which no fair experience is truly complete.

"We give each participant a voucher for a free meal from any food booth at the fair," McBride said. "MSG reimburses that food booth for the vouchers at the end of the day. It is very costly for us to do this, so we reach out to local businesses for help. This year we have some amazing sponsors helping with Special Needs Day Lunch, including Prater's BBQ, McMinnville Drug Center, Phillips Sales and Service, Davenport Electric and Collins River BBQ. This covers about half of the meals, and MSG pays for the rest."

Special Needs Day will be Wednesday, Sept 10th from 10 a.m.-noon. Participants are asked to meet at the grandstands at 9:30 a.m. Crescent City Amusement Co. which provides the carnival attractions each year, does its part to make it a special day, as does the Warren County Fair Board.

"Crescent City is wonderful. They offer free rides during this two-hour time frame for our special guys and gals," McBride said. "The fair board arranges for several exhibits such as the petting zoo and other fun things to be open so our special community can enjoy them without large crowds and extra noise. Some of our special needs men, women and children do not thrive in public situations where it is overcrowded and loud, so Special Needs Day allows them to have a time at the fair that's just for them and they absolutely love it. We are so grateful to the Warren County A&L Fair for continuing to make our special needs community a priority as they have for many years."