LUXEMBURG, Wis. (NBC 26) -- When the Kewaunee County Fair was cancelled last week, the Gaedtke and Kroll families were amongst many heartbroken local 4-H members.
"I'm like really upset about it because you only get a certain amount of years to show," Alexys Gaedtke, 17, said. "So it upsets me that I could lose a year."
Together, the families have six girls that have been showing dairy cows and hogs for most of their childhood.
"It's kind of taken a toll on everybody ... Just knowing that a lot of kids are in the same situation as me, that we only have so much time left, it really makes me sad," Hailey Gaedtke, 18, said. "I've been showing animals since first grade at least."
"You really look forward to that one because that's where I show all of my animals," Jadelynn Kroll, 11, said. "I really look forward to it."
Kim Kroll is a 4-H dairy leader and co-owner of Gaedtke Rolling Hills Dairy Farm. She is actively brainstorming ways that they can use barns on their property to organize some sort of judging show this summer while incorporating social distancing.
"We understand that there's the protection part of it," Kroll said. "But then at the same time, we get where the kids are coming from and the sadness that's in them because they can't finish through on the projects that they have worked on so hard throughout the year already."
In the meantime, the daughters will use their time off school to continue working with their animals for their next show, whether that is in 2020 or 2021.
"I mean I know like this coronavirus is really bad," Alexys said. "I know it's really upsetting that we have to cancel it, but it might be a good choice, sadly."
"Keep your heads up, and just be hopeful that there might be shows," Hailey advises other 4-H members. "You never know what's gonna happen in the future. You just really got to stay hopeful and keep working with your animals to make sure that if there is one, you're ready to go."
