The Lawrence County Fair has come and gone, leaving many area businesses a little lighter in the pocket but filling the piggy banks of many 4-H youth.

Always among the biggest attractions at the week long event, the small and large animal auctions are the culmination of months and even years of hard work.

And it was encouraging to see that the sluggish economy only had a minimal impact on the event that these youth look forward.

Of course the businesses and individuals who bid on this livestock certainly benefit from the positive public relations and exposure they get from it but the reality is they don’t have to do this.

The benefits these businesses get are far outweighed by what it means to these youth.

So, the individuals you see up there bidding thousands of dollars on the grand champion steer are doing it for the right reasons and understand that their money will be put to good use.

But it isn’t just the top award winning animals that get sold. Those may be the ones that grab headlines but all of them earn money for these young men and women who work so hard on these projects.

While the top buyers get their photographs printed in the newspaper, all the buyers deserve recognition and support from Lawrence County residents.

The Tribune will publish a list of all the buyers in the near future once this information is compiled and submitted.

Not everyone visits the fair. And not everyone buys an animal from one of the youth who raised them.

But everyone has the chance to support the businesses and the men and women who do.