SEDALIA, Mo. — Long-time Missouri State Fair exhibitors say a special young man named Evan Schaefer has worked his way into the hearts of many.
Evan's two favorite holidays are Christmas and the Missouri State Fair.
He absorbed his family's love for animals and American agriculture.
Since he was 10, Evan has proudly shown his Jersey dairy cattle.
“He doesn’t necessarily show the best compared to a lot of kids, but he just loves it so much. And I know all the work that he’s put into it prior to getting here,” said Amy Schaefer, Evan's mother.
Evan was born with a rare genetic disorder called 1p36 deletion. It is often characterized by intellectual disability, delayed growth, seizures and limited speech ability.
He communicates his needs through body language and signing, but Evan's parents say people at the fair just “get” him.
“It’s neat because the community, they recognize the sign for thank you and ice cream and hot dog," Amy Schaefer said. “He grabs a judge and hugs ‘em and might give them a kiss on the cheek or on the hand. And every single judge here, through all the years that he’s been growing up, has got it.”
Exhibitors consider Schaefer quite the local celebrity around the fairgrounds.
Everyone takes an interest in him, even down to how he likes his ice cream sprinkled with M&M's.
“There are a few that touch your heart in a different way,” said Dairy Superintendent Amy Jo Estes.
For Estes, the outpouring of love for Schaefer represents the heart of the agricultural community.
“Do I think the ag community really is more inclusive? Yeah,” Estes said. “That compassion in what they do ... they are going to make sure that everybody has an opportunity.”
Evan’s parents say it is often difficult for special needs individuals to find their niche, which makes the inclusively and acceptance they have found at the fair mean that much more.
“We’ve had some experiences that just kind of make you, as a family and as a parent, want to cry," Amy Schaefer said. "Not in a bad way. In a good way — positive. Just tugs at your heartstrings. Makes you have pleasant things to think about when you go to bed at night.”
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KSHB 41 anchor/reporter JuYeon Kim covers agricultural issues and the fentanyl crisis. Share your story idea with JuYeon.