By GRACE GREEN
grace@readthereporter.com
One thing people look forward to at the 4-H fair is eating the elephant ears. While the sweet treat itself is a huge hit, what many fairgoers don’t realize is that a team of women is behind the scenes making them.
The Silver Notes are a women’s choir and are part of the Hamilton County Extension and the Melody Makers of Indiana (MMIA). The group has one yearly fundraiser, selling handmade elephant ears at the fair.
“With those funds we are able to contribute to 4-H plaques and awards and advertise in the 4-H book,” Silver President Darlene Musselman said. “We also give out a scholarship in the name of one of our past presidents, the Sharon Piper scholarship, to any student in Hamilton County who is pursuing music school.”
The funds are also used to help buy music and outfits for the group’s performances.
The choral group has been around for more than 50 years and has been selling elephant ears for around 25, selling thousands each year.
“We may sell anywhere from 2,000 to 3,000 elephant ears,” Musselman said. “It varies from year to year. The weather has a lot to do with it. If we have a lot of rain, you don’t have a lot of people. If it gets too hot, you don’t have a lot of people.”
Nights at the fair can be overwhelming for the group, as that’s when they get the most customers.
“In the evenings, we get pretty crazy out here and we’ll have lines, and we’ll tell the people cooking ‘Don’t look behind you, just keep cooking,’” Musselman said.
Despite the long days and busy shifts, the women say the effort is worth it.
“It’s something that we all get together and do every year. It’s a lot of work, a lot of preparation, but we have fun doing it,” Musselman said.