New sanitation station will enhance N. Idaho Fair experience

The staff of the North Idaho Fair and Rodeo is excited to see people congregate in Coeur d’Alene this week to share handicrafts, farm fare, and delicious cuisine … but not all of their germs. Over the course of an afternoon, the average fairgoer’s hands are likely to touch the seatbelt on the Tilt-a-Whirl, the baby goat in the barn, the dusty beanbags that get flung towards plywood targets, the Port-a-potty door handle, and the ketchup dispenser at the hot dog stand. At the same time, said visitor is likely to be devouring platefuls of gooey finger-food. This recipe for germ mayhem is precisely why fair staff pitched the idea of a “Hand-E-Acres Germ Barn” to the Coeur d’Alene Rotary Club during its annual community grant program. When fair staff explained their desire for a booth where visitors could receive fun, interactive training about proper hygiene, the Rotary responded with a $3,675 check. “We felt it would be a terrific community project and would demonstrate not only to kids but also to adults the importance of proper handwashing to a healthy lifestyle,” said Lori Mayfield, club president. With the club’s support, the fair constructed a hygiene station that is now a permanent fixture on the fairgrounds. Visitors to the Hand-E-Acres Germ Barn will be instructed to slather their sticky, dusty, greasy hands with a special glow-in-the-dark lotion and then to wash them in one of the Barn’s outdoor sinks. Participants will then be led into the Barn’s dark interior, where any remaining lotion i.e. “germs” will illuminate brightly under a black light, revealing exactly how much grime was missed, and where. Then they can start over if they’d like. General Manager Chris Holloway and Special Events Coordinator Chelsea Rosenberger were appalled after visiting a similar attraction at a different fair. “We figured that as adults we knew how to properly wash our hands,” Rosenberger recalls, “We were shocked to find out that we clearly didn’t. And if as adults we don’t know, then how can we teach our children?” To this day, Rosenberger says she still thinks about that experiment every time she washes her hands. Since then, she tries to be patient enough to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice and remember to scrub the tops of her hands, fingernails and areas around her rings, places she says people often ignore. “This is an educational experience that transcends generations,” Rosenberger says. “We are really looking forward to having this on our grounds and are extremely grateful to the Coeur d’Alene Rotary for its generosity.”