EATON — Nancy Tilton, who has worked in Preble County’s OSU Extension Office for over 17 years, has always had a dream of bringing to the area a donation program which enables 4-H members to pick up items they might need for their show days at the Preble County Fair.

This year, Tilton’s dream became a reality, when Nancy’s Closet launched. The first days for the “shop” were held in the Bruner Building on Friday and Saturday, July 12-13.

Boots, belts, show clothes — all items are free to 4-H members who shop the store.

“I have been thinking about it for a long time,” Tilton said on Friday, July 12. “I just thought that the kids in this county you know, we all have things that are leftover when our kids are done showing, or they grow out of, oh my gosh, they grow so quickly. And there should be a place where all of that stuff should be able to come together under one roof. And let’s get it in the hands of someone else who can use it.”

Donations were accepted. “We had a group of people who really put hands and feet to this. Richie Painterand his mom Betty would come and get the donations. They were all laundered. They were pressed, they were repaired if they needed repairs. It’s just what started out as an idea in my head that really someone else gave hands and feet to,” Tilton explained.

She said it wasn’t an original idea to her, as other counties do similar activities.

New 4-H Educator Betsy Lairson helped make Tilton’s idea a reality, after a chat the two shared one day. “I said, I’d love to do this. I just don’t have the wherewithal to do all the repairs and all of that stuff. Let’s figure out how to do this, where to give these clothes a home and that kind of thing. And so she took it and went forward. And then she said ‘oh, by the way, we have given birth to Nancy’s Closet and it’s going to happen.’ I was way amazed by that,” Tilton said.

Over 200 items were donated in a 6-8-week timeframe, according to Tilton.

“Boots, pants, show shirts, beautiful belts with all that bling on them. And you know, jeans and just all kinds of things. I know some of the horse clothing that came in is just beautiful,” she said. “And I’m so happy that I can get in the hands of someone else.”

The items are offered at no cost. “It is not a purchase. We are opening this and doing this as a service to our kids, for our kids, so there’s no fee for any of the clothing. What came in was all donated and so what goes out is a free to the kids,” Tilton explained.

“Kids grow so quickly, that sometimes it gets to be showtime and you’re like ‘oh my gosh,’ and it’s time to go to the store. Well, come to the fairgrounds, we’ll be the store. See if you can’t find what you need here. At least give this a first try,” she said.

“Turnout has been awesome. I was just so pleased. I had someone ask me, ‘please can I donate?’ and I’m like, yes, you can donate. But I would prefer to take a pay-it-forward donation rather than a monetary donation. But that was just my preference. And maybe it will come to the point that we’ll need that monetary donation as well. But we haven’t thought that far ahead, I guess I’ll say. So just pay it forward. If it’s still in good shape when you’re done with it, bring it back to us.”

The Rodeo Shop and others have stepped in to help out with Nancy’s Closet, and Tilton is grateful for them all.

Donations can be dropped off at the Extension Office, which will then get them the necessary cleaning and/or repairs. There will also be boxes in the barns during fair week for donations, according to Tilton.

“I was very touched and moved that they did that,” Tilton said of the program being named Nancy’s Closet. “And I’m like, well, it’s really not all about Nancy. It’s about all those people who are sewing on buttons and doing laundry and running things to the places that will repair them or look at them, and making sure they’re okay or whatever. So it’s not about Nancy just having a closet. It’s about lots of people working together to make it happen to support the kids.”

Reach Eddie Mowen Jr. at 937-683-4061 and follow on X @emowenjr.