Joshua Creek Ranch’s Texas Hill Country Shooting Classic & Sporting Expo has only been held twice, but based on the results of the 2016 shoot you would think it was already a well-established event. The number of shooters and sponsors, as well as the amount of money raised, increased dramatically compared to the 2015 tournament.
The proceeds from Saturday’s shoot went to aid Trinity Oaks, a non-profit working to make the dreams of wounded veterans, sick youth, the terminally ill, and other disabled sportsmen and women come true. Through hunting, fishing, and other activities, Trinity Oaks helps those in need experience the outdoors in spite of their hindrances.
This marks the first year Joshua Creek has partnered with Trinity Oaks. The results were very encouraging, to say the least.
“Our goal was to raise at least $15,000 to benefit Trinity Oaks,” said Kevin Welborn, director of marketing, sales & guest services. “We actually raised $30,000!”
Competitors ended the day’s shooting events with a charity auction to benefit Trinity Oaks.
That amount stems from the nearly 250 registered shooters — up from roughly 160 in 2015 — who attended the event. Many bid on items at the evening’s auction sale as well, with 40 different sponsors contributing prizes. Included among the auction items were copies of Jim Carmichel’s Classic Carmichel, John Seerey-Lester’s The Legendary Hunts of Theodore Roosevelt, and one-year subscriptions to Sporting Classics.
Joshua Creek had other aspirations for the shoot, as well — each surpassed when the final numbers were tallied. The ranch hoped to have 200 shooters participate; 250 shooters registered. The ranch wanted 15 exhibitors to attend; 20 presented their wares around the property. Those 40 sponsors that provided auction items? JCR was aiming for somewhere in the neighborhood of 25.
The ability to help Trinity Oaks was the driving force behind this year’s success. As Welborn said, most sporting clay shoots function as either a competitive shoot or a fundraising one. Texas Hill Country is both.
Both of the THC events have benefited charity, with the same format in place for future shoots. The 2015 tournament was already in the planning stages when flooding caused devastation in the Hill Country region. As a result, Joshua Creek decided to turn the shoot into a Red Cross fundraiser. The idea of keeping the shoot a charitable one was important to the ranch, but it thought it could make the event even more successful if it put the proceeds toward a sporting-related organization. Enter Trinity Oaks and the enormous success of 2016.
Plans for the 2017 shoot will be made this fall. Check back with Sporting Classics Daily for details, and for more on Joshua Creek Ranch, visit joshuacreek.com today.