Tony and Ellamae Carrera of Ellsworth have a long history of helping youth. Tony was recently named to the Ohio 4-H Hall of Fame.

ELLSWORTH — Township resident Tony Carrera was among this year’s inductees into the Ohio 4-H Hall of Fame at the annual 4-H Volunteer Recognition Celebration.

Ohio 4-H Hall of Fame inductees are individuals who have made significant lifetime contributions and who also have made positive impacts upon clubs, communities and the state 4-H program. Carrera has long filled that bucket with devotion to local youth, 4-H and the Junior Fair.

He got his start 58 years ago when his children Cindy (Kingston), Linda, Kim (Moff), Terri (Book) and Rick showed horses in 1963.

“I got involved with horses as a kid,” Carrera said. “The neighbor where I grew up on Raccoon Road had horses and that is when I got my first horse called Tony the Pony.”

Later in life, Tony married and began a family with his wife, Ellamae. He said his five children joined the Jackson-Canfield Bridle Buddies 4-H Club so they could compete and learn more about horsemanship. The couple got involved as well, helping out wherever they could. After several years, the Carreras, along with Carol and Connie Rowe and a few others, took it over and eventually renamed it the Canfield Bridle Buddies.

Carrera enjoyed the club and the opportunity to share his knowledge of horses with the youth. It wasn’t hard for him as he was a trained educator and worked as the Mahoning County Career and Technical Center’s first machinist trade instructor. He put in 30 years before retiring.

He continued with 4-H and the Junior Fair, and, in the 1970s, Carrera saw a need. He said the Junior Fair youth who spent all six days at the fair were having fun trying to stretch their dollars with the expense of the fair food. He thought it would be good to offer a low-cost meal alternative.

A former 7UP trailer was obtained to kick off the idea, and Carrera helped by selling hot dogs, French fries and hamburgers, along with pop. He said the few menu items were sold at a loss and all proceeds went back to the 4-H programs.

“We progressed into a larger trailer, then into the corner of a barn using a tent,” Carrera said.

Things really started moving when Carrera took the dream of having a permanent building to Junior Fair Board Director Daryl Bacon.

“I talked to him about my dream and gave him my idea,” he said. Then-Canfield Schools Superintendent Jim Watkins and local businessman Jim Centofanti saw my drawings and joined in to make it happen.”

He said when the new Pop Shop was ready to open, a committee was formed to help run it. The Junior Fair then became an important part of the Pop Shop, and it was making enough profit to be able to offer $500 scholarships as well as helping fund the 4-H program. To be eligible for the scholarships, a Junior Fair youth had to put in time at the Pop Shop during the fair.

“They not only learned to work with others, but they learned how to run a business too,” Carrera said.

Mahoning County 4-H educator Beth Smith said Carrera deserves the recognition in the Hall of Fame because of all he has done for the program.

“Tony is a mentor and role model for many volunteers through the many committees on which he has served,” Smith said. “Many of his 4-H alumni have returned to thank him for teaching them how to mentor others.”

Carrera still responds to anyone seeking advice. He welcomes a chance to share his thoughts with others who are following in the footsteps he set out 58 years ago.

His son-in-law Dwayne Moff has taken the lead in the Pop Shop and his daughter Kim is now the Junior Fair director. Cindy, the eldest daughter is now the head adviser for the Canfield Bridle Buddies.

“It all worked out,” Carrera said, “and for me. They are all great memories.”

Besides the Hall of Fame, Carrera also was recognized with an award as a 4-H volunteer who put in over 55 years in the organization.