Yesterday, 11 May 2013, myself and a dedicated team of about 9 volunteers put on the first of the Buffalo Target Shooters Association's 2013 Young Guns Shooting Matches at our new action handgun/rifle/shotgun facilities in Kananskis.
20 participants, including 17 kids between the ages of 6 and 18 showed up and many, for the first time, experienced the thrill of shooting. By all accounts was a huge success.
This event came VERY close to being cancelled.
As the director for the program, I had spent a LOT of time over the past 6 months preparing for it, and with the levels of resistance and non-support I received from many directions - particularly (and surprisingly) from many local businesses, I felt VERY discouraged.
Ammunition supply is tightening up, shooting itself is tending towards becoming a "Old Man's sport," and finding dedicated people to run non-profit programs on a shoe-string budget is VERY challenging - requiring a HUGE amount of volunteer effort.
I approached Heather from TSE a few weeks back and asked if she could talk to JR to help my program out. She and I talked about the program for a good half and hour, she asked what I wanted and walked through the store with me bouncing ideas. She told me to come back the next week and she would see what she could do.
I came back in the following Sunday - and to my utter amazement - beside's Heather's desk was over $1500 worth of ammunition, prizes, and safety equipment. Allan (the shift manager) and 4 RO's happily helped me load all the gear into my van.
The next week, I came in and talked to JR and he gave me some very kind words of encouragement.
JR said to me "The future of our sport absolutely depends on young kids learning how to shoot. If you're going to donate all this time trying to get this program running, I'm going to chip in to help." I was literally on my way to the club's monthly executive meeting to resign and cancel the program - but JR's words weighed on me, and at the meeting, I pledged to continue to run Young Guns.
I am working on a video montage of the shoot - but 17 kids and their parents walked away yesterday with a loot bag with some great TSE swag and prizes, witnessed their first action shotgun, IDPA, and steel challenge demonstrations, SAFELY put hundreds of rounds of ammo down range, took part in their first scored competition and most importantly left with huge smiles on their faces asking when the next match was (June 5 for our club's Children Hospital fundraiser, and July 13 for the next Young Guns shoot).
Here's a few pictures (more to come) of the event.
From the bottom of my heart and on behalf of the Buffalo Target Shooters Association:
THANK YOU TSE, THANK YOU HEATHER, AND THANK YOU JR!
For more information about Young Guns, please visit here:
http://www.btsa.ca/matches/index.php/btsa-matchs-information/young-guns-youth-shooting-program/
While TSE by far was the biggest contributor to this program (and I say saved it from cancellation), we still got support from the following local businesses which I also am deeply thankful for: Proline Shooters, Walmart, and Cakes By Design.
20 participants, including 17 kids between the ages of 6 and 18 showed up and many, for the first time, experienced the thrill of shooting. By all accounts was a huge success.
This event came VERY close to being cancelled.
As the director for the program, I had spent a LOT of time over the past 6 months preparing for it, and with the levels of resistance and non-support I received from many directions - particularly (and surprisingly) from many local businesses, I felt VERY discouraged.
Ammunition supply is tightening up, shooting itself is tending towards becoming a "Old Man's sport," and finding dedicated people to run non-profit programs on a shoe-string budget is VERY challenging - requiring a HUGE amount of volunteer effort.
I approached Heather from TSE a few weeks back and asked if she could talk to JR to help my program out. She and I talked about the program for a good half and hour, she asked what I wanted and walked through the store with me bouncing ideas. She told me to come back the next week and she would see what she could do.
I came back in the following Sunday - and to my utter amazement - beside's Heather's desk was over $1500 worth of ammunition, prizes, and safety equipment. Allan (the shift manager) and 4 RO's happily helped me load all the gear into my van.
The next week, I came in and talked to JR and he gave me some very kind words of encouragement.
JR said to me "The future of our sport absolutely depends on young kids learning how to shoot. If you're going to donate all this time trying to get this program running, I'm going to chip in to help." I was literally on my way to the club's monthly executive meeting to resign and cancel the program - but JR's words weighed on me, and at the meeting, I pledged to continue to run Young Guns.
I am working on a video montage of the shoot - but 17 kids and their parents walked away yesterday with a loot bag with some great TSE swag and prizes, witnessed their first action shotgun, IDPA, and steel challenge demonstrations, SAFELY put hundreds of rounds of ammo down range, took part in their first scored competition and most importantly left with huge smiles on their faces asking when the next match was (June 5 for our club's Children Hospital fundraiser, and July 13 for the next Young Guns shoot).
Here's a few pictures (more to come) of the event.
From the bottom of my heart and on behalf of the Buffalo Target Shooters Association:
THANK YOU TSE, THANK YOU HEATHER, AND THANK YOU JR!
For more information about Young Guns, please visit here:
http://www.btsa.ca/matches/index.php/btsa-matchs-information/young-guns-youth-shooting-program/
While TSE by far was the biggest contributor to this program (and I say saved it from cancellation), we still got support from the following local businesses which I also am deeply thankful for: Proline Shooters, Walmart, and Cakes By Design.
Last edited:
