Posted on August 21, 2018 at 4:34 PM by Global Reach
Dr.Doug Helgevold, lives on the Eagle Township family farm in Wright County where he was born and raised and actively participated in 4-H. Although he couldn’t recall the name of the club at the time he was a member (he said they’ve changed since he was a kid), he could recollect many of the memories he made as part of the group. 
One of his first comments was “I had a lot of fun being involved in 4-H.” His main involvement was showing cattle, but he also had a lot of fun playing on the 4-H softball team.
“I learned about good sportsmanship,” he said.
Dr.Doug and his wife, Carolyn, had two children. Dr. Helgevold is proud to say they were both involved in Wright County 4-H as well. Since their dad was a veterinarian at the Goldfield Veterinarian Clinic since 1977, it’s no wonder they also showed a lot of livestock at the Wright County Fair over the years.
In the mid-1980s, Dr. Helgevold bought Goldfield Veterinary Clinic from Dr. Stoakes. In 1990, he began serving as the Wright County Fair veterinarian. A duty which he is still proud to be fulfilling today. He said the job consists of checking all the animals the kids bring to the fair to make sure they are healthy, and treating any animals if needed during the fair.
Two years after taking on the responsibilities of animal health at the Wright County Fair, Dr. Helgevold agreed to make a difference in the lives of the people who attended the county event as well. From 1992 - 1998 he served as a member of the Fair Board and was the Sheep Show Superintendent. “I’ve always enjoyed the fair and wanted to support it,” he said. He added the thing he enjoys most about being involved in the Wright County Fair is the kids.
While Dr. Helgevold is very honored to have been named the 2018 Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame Inductee from Wright County, he said “I really don’t feel like I’ve done anything special to deserve this recognition, but it’s quite an honor. I’ve always enjoyed the fair and I’ve always enjoyed 4-H,” said Dr. Helgevold.
