PANDORA — Daryl Bridenbaugh is one of three finalist in a national John Deere contest to win a Skid Steere. As part of the entrance requirements, contestants were required to submitted a 250 word essay explaining how they would use the machine to give back to their community. In his essay, Bridenbaugh explained he would use the Skid Steere to help the Putnam County Habitat for Humanity building housing for local families in need.
There were a total of 650 people from around the county who entered the contest. Besides Bridenbaugh, finalists are:
• Tom Noble, vice president of Cimarron Construction, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, who is planning on using the Skid Steere to assist in rebuilding 44 athletic fields in poverty stricken schools in the area;
• Eric Moores, building trades instructor at Woodbine High School, of Woodbine, Iowa, who’s students helped build a food bank and other buildings in the Woobine area.
“This is a good way to promote Ohio,” Peggy Bridenbaugh, Daryl’s wife, said. “This isn’t some guy with a construction company in Oklahoma or a teacher in Iowa. This is a farmer from Pandora, Ohio.”
Part of the reason Daryl Bridenbaugh entered the contest is because of a farming accident he had five years ago. It pinned him under his tractor and rescue workers from Ottawa and Pandora, as well as local residents, showed up to save him.
“I called 9-1-1 at 5:30,” Peggy Bridenbaugh said. “The helicopter landed at the hospital in Lima with him on it at 6:30.”
“I almost didn’t survive,” Daryl Bridenbaugh said. “I want to give back to the community.”
Voting for the three contest finalist is open now at deere.com/impact and closes on July 5. Individuals can vote multiple times for a contestant. When voting is concluded John Deere will announce the winner during a celebration at John Deere Headquarters in Moline, Ill., Daryl Bridenbaugh said.
“If I don’t win it that’s fine with me,” he said. “I’ll still hug the other guys no matter what. I’ll be a good winner or a good loser.”
If he does win the Skid Steere though, Daryl Bridenbaugh said he will donate his time to helping Putnam County Habitat for Humanity anyway he could with the machine.
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