By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The first Trophies to the Table event outside Great Bend High School was a success. Despite cold rains on Nov. 20, it took volunteers just about 12 minutes to hand out 200 pounds of deer meat to local families in need. Trevor Olsen, a realtor with MPIRE Realty and co-owner and guide at Kansas Trophy Experience, said round two is coming Wednesday.
"We really wanted to see it happen again before the holidays," he said. "The first one was just before Thanksgiving, so the timing worked out perfectly. This one being right before Christmas, I don't know how else say it other than it warms our hearts that we're able to provide for that."
Aaron Andrews with MPIRE had approached Olsen with the idea. Out-of-state hunters are not always able take all the meat they harvest. Instead of giving the extra meat to friends and family, the idea was hatched to give it to the needy. The hunters also donate money to have the meat professionally processed. B&B Quality Meats in Larned handled the first batch. Ellsworth Packing handled the latest giveaway.
"We had first started with B&B out of Larned," Olsen said. "They had to stop taking deer so we were left to go find another professional processing place to handle the deer meet. We were led to Ellsworth. Those kind people were able to turn around 300 pounds in about three days for us. That was a huge deal."
READ MORE: USD 428 gives away 200 pounds of deer meat in minutes
The ground venison and pork blend will be handed out in frozen one-pound packages on the north side of Great Bend High School beginning at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. Families are asked to drive east down 21st Street to receive the food. More giveaways are planned in the future.