
By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The Barton Foundation's Annual Sporting Clay Shoot continues to grow. The 14th annual event is scheduled for Sunday, April 21 at Camp Aldrich. Executive Director of Institutional Advancement Lindsey Bogner said last year's event pulled in a record 238 shooters.
"It's a lot of fun," she said. "We actually have shooters who come from all over. Last year, we had some from Illinois, Texas, and Oklahoma. We aren't a nationally-certified event, but we are a good place for competitive shooters to practice."
The Foundation is still looking for sponsors for the event. Major sponsors get the usual perks but also get a free team registration for the event valued at $300.
"Our sponsors are really what makes this work," Bogner said. "Last year, we raised $23,000 with our clay shoot in one day, which is just incredible. All of the money from that goes to our faculty mini-grant program."
Mini-grants are capped at $2,500 and can be used by Barton faculty to improve the classroom experience for students. In 13 years, the Foundation was awarded more than $150,000 in mini-grants.
The Foundation is seeking sponsors through March 1, which is the first day for individuals or teams to register. Individual registration is $100 and team registration is $300. The clay shoot will feature 13 stations, each with 6-8 clays thrown in a variety of directions. Shooters are vying for top-shot prizes in men, women, and youth categories. A team prize will also be awarded. Cash prizes are also handed out on the Lewis Class system, meaning all shooters are eligible for a prize. More cash is available in the team flurry event where each team is given 60 seconds to shoot at 30 targets. Money paid by those teams will be awarded to winners.
Early-bird registration comes with a free gift and ends April 1. For more information on sponsoring the event, contact Bogner at bognerl@bartonccc.edu or by calling (620) 786-1141.