SIDNEY — The two boys who died as a result of injuries sustained in a cabin fire early Sunday morning will be honored by Shelby County 4-H and the Junior Fair Board at the 2019 Shelby County Junior Fair.
Dalton Shank and Landin Caudill were both members of the Scissors to Sheep and Shelby County Shooting Sports 4-H clubs. Dalton, 14, joined 4-H in 2016 and completed projects in rocketry, electricity, market rabbits and rifles. Landin, 10, also joined 4-H in 2016 and completed projects in market rabbits and rifles. Both boys were model members who attended meetings and completed community service projects regularly.
Landin was also set to attend Shelby County’s overnight residential camp at Camp Clifton this coming Sunday. It would have been his first year to attend the camp.
“When his mom signed him up, she said he was really excited to be able to go this year,” said Cassie Dietrich, 4-H youth development educator. “It’s a tragic outcome and one we never want to have to deal with. Our 4-H’ers are just as much our family as our own kids. We see them at schools, camps, in the office throughout the summer and at fair. We watch them grow up. It’s just heartbreaking.”
In honor of Dalton and Landin, Shelby County 4-H is pulling together volunteers and resources to finish raising their market rabbits and exhibit them at the 2019 Junior Fair, just as the boys planned to. The rabbits will be shown by another youth member of the Scissors to Sheep 4-H club, then sold in the livestock sale on Friday, July 26. While details are still being discussed, initial plans are that the money raised through the sale of the rabbits will be used to help the family cover medical, funeral and burial expenses. Anything beyond those expenses will then be put into a 4-H project support fund in their names.
“We want to help this family see Dalton and Landin’s projects through and we have a lot of volunteers coming to the table to help make that happen,” said Dietrich. “The livestock sale is also a place where everyone can pool their resources and give them to the family in one transaction. Anyone can be a buyer and no amount is too small.”
For more information about the livestock sale or helping with the 4-H program’s effort to honor Dalton and Landin, contact Dietrich at 937-498-7243.
