Oak Harbor 13-year-olds Myley Sandwisch, Delaney Johnson and Payne Lohman enjoy ice cream they purchased at the new 4-H Jr. Leadership Ice Cream Stand at the Ottawa County Fair on July 19. (Photos by Sheri Trusty)

BY SHERI TRUSTY

When GenoaBank Chair, President and CEO Marty Sutter was a teen, he fondly remembers courting his wife along the dusty walkways of the Ottawa County Fair. After they married and started a family, their memories of the fair grew. The family enjoyed the rides and foods of fair week, showed animals and camped on the grounds.

“I remember walking through the fair and buying her a snow cone when we were teens. I couldn’t afford a hamburger back then, so it was snow cone,” Sutter said. “It means everything to me because from the time I was a little kid until now, we would go to the fair. GenoaBank is all about giving back to the community.”

The pavilion was built about five years ago using funds from the Ohio Legislature and Ottawa County Commissioners, said Mike Libben, 2nd Vice President of the Ottawa County Agricultural Society. Additional funding was provided by Ag Credit ACA, Ottawa County Ag Society, 4-H Jr. Leadership, Ottawa County Senior Fair Board and brick donors.

“This year, we sold the naming rights to GenoaBank,” Libben said.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to celebrate the newly named GenoaBank Pavilion and new 4-H Jr. Leadership Ice Cream Stand on Tuesday, July 19 at the Ottawa County Fairbgrounds. Pictured are, left to right, Ottawa County Commissioner Mark Coppeler, Lauren Martakin of AgCredit, Ottawa County Senior Fair Board President Zak Avers, OSU Extension/Ottawa County 4-H Educator Molly Avers, Ottawa County Commissioner Mark Stahl, Ohio Department of Agriculture Director Dorothy Pelanda, GenoaBank EVP Luke Sutter, GenoaBank President and CEO Marty Sutter, GenoaBank EVP Justin Moore, GenoaBank AVP Sam Sutter, and Jordan Moore of GenoaFinancial. (Photos by Sheri Trusty)

DCH Homes, Ltd., served as the general contractor for the ice cream stand project. Plumbing, HVAC and electrical work was provided by Witt & Gaines, Inc. Prior to the construction of the pavilion, live entertainment was provided under a tent at the site.

The first prep kitchen housed the 4-H Jr. Leadership Ice Cream Stand during fair week. On the afternoon of July 19, the Sew & Sew 4-H Club manned the stand under the guidance of 4-H advisor Diane Dehring. They offered a dozen different flavors of Toft’s hard dip ice cream in cones and cups.

GenoaBank Chair, President and CEO Marty Sutter addresses the crowd at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the GenoaBank Pavilion and new 4-H Jr. Leadership Ice Cream Stand at the Ottawa County Fairgrounds. (Photos by Sheri Trusty)

“Different 4-H clubs in the county volunteer to work the booth,” Dehring said. “Pretty much everything is popular, but we’re selling a lot of Brownie Bandit, Super Duper Scoop and Lake Erie Cookie Monster.”

Libben said the stand drew a constant string of customers.

“They had record sales on opening day,” Libben said. “I’d like to thank GenoaBank, Ag Credit and the Ottawa County county commissioners. Without those three, we wouldn’t have opened as fast.”