'SURVIVOR: CAMERON COUNTY' A SUCCESS
By Alex Davis Endeavor News

Ava Lynn Travis, six-month-old daughter of Mike and Misty Travis of Emporium, won the Beautiful Baby Contest during the Cameron County Fair last week. About a dozen babies were entered. Ava won a $50 savings bond and a diaper bag full of baby items. She's the granddaughter of Bill and Tanja Reisinger and Paul and Ellen Travis, all of Emporium.

The Cameron County Fair needed a spark to reignite interest, and it found one in the "Survivor: Cameron County" event on Friday night.

Elementary teacher Ben Porkolab emerged as the champion in the fun-filled competition based on a popular CBS-TV series, topping nine other contestants chosen at random from all who had applied.

Potter County's Wanda Shirk, who appeared on the CBS show herself, agreed to host and emcee the Emporium event, which was an attempt by the Cameron County Fair Association to bring new life to the fair.

Two teams of five, competing as the "Mountain Men" vs.

"Team Huss," went headto head in events that

included rescuing a teammate using a homemade

Richie Farren is carried in a stretcher, built by teammates using wood planks and duct tape as part of Survivor: Cameron County competition during the county fair. Organizer Wendy Davis reports that the event was successful and it'll likely be in next year's fair line up.

stretcher, finding large pieces and assembling a

puzzle, building a fire and burning a marshmallow; answering trivia, tossing a bean bag and balancing a foam ball.

One by one contestants were voted out, leaving Porkolab and Jeremiah Fragale as the finalists. Each was awarded a cash prize.

The family of Kent and Wendy Davis organized Survivor: Cameron County and thanked all participants and supporters.

Shirk said she thinks the Fair Association has come up with a winner.

"Everything went really well," she told

Endeavor News. "The challenges and the eliminations proceeded without a hitch, and I think the audience was well-entertained."