By Alexis Seibert
Aug 8, 2009
Sponsored by BowTech Archery.
Food for thought!
Hey Guys! I know it has been a while since I have been on here. Last time I was here we were working on some video for you all but I had a little issue with my production company and had to go another route. Did not want you to think I forgot about you all though! So I am sending on some food for thought!
Dad says times are tough out there with the economy and everything. A lot of people have lost their jobs and are finding it hard to put food on the table. What got me to thinking about this is a program we have here in Tennessee for just that problem. Here in Tennessee it is estimated that 11% of the kids and 19% of the Grandmas and Grandpas go to bed hungry. That is crazy!
The TWRA (Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency) has a program called Hunters for the Hungry! It is a really awesome program that helps people right here locally. People take their deer to local processors who ask customers if they want to Donate a pound of ground venison to the program . Tennessee, being the Volunteer state, everyone says yes! Now I know a pound of deer does not seem like it could become a large amount but, since 1998 hunters have donated over 360,000 pounds of venison! That is over 1.5 MILLION meals! Now that’s a lot of deer!
We have a population of deer here in Tennessee of over 1 million! Believe it or not hunters only harvest one fifth of that each year. So there are plenty of deer out there!
I am only 15 but I am trying to raise the amount of deer donated here in our state and here is what I am doing.
We have a hunting show called The Tennessee Wildlife Extravaganza it will be held Aug 20, 21 and 22. I will put on the ‘Boo Shoot for Hunters for the Hungry’. I called several companies that manufacture and sell hunting gear to help out with product donations. What I will do in cooperation with the Tennessee Wildlife Federation is having a little competition! Kinda set up like Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader TV Show.
I will have a shooting area set up at the show with a Glendale Full rut buck target set out at 25 to 40 yards! People can bring their own bow to the show, pay a $10 entry fee to shoot against me.
Yep a girl! LOL!
We each get one shot. If the person I shoot against gets closer to the dot on the Buck target then I do they get a sticker saying you whooped me at the Boo shoot for Hunters for the Hungry! You also qualify to shoot Sunday for big prizes!
If I get closer to the dot though the loser has to wear a sticker on their shirt that says ‘I got whooped by a 15 year old girl!’ They also have to go over to the PA system and announce their name and say ‘I got smoked by a 15 year old girl in front of the crowd and my hunting buddies!
Can you imagine the beating they are going to take from their buddies all season if I whoop em! Its all good though because I will give everyone another shot at the prize for just another $5 donation. You can shoot till ya win, or your money runs out. ha
We will also have TV monitors up with Hunters from the Hungry and sponsor commercials playing full time on flat screens and tables with coupons for people that shoot for Firenocks, targets, bow presses and other great prizes. On Sunday all those who out-shoot me get to have a shoot down to win the Glendale Full Rut and a Block Fusion targets, possibly a new Bow and all kinds of other products.
I have called several companies and requested products to give away in the competitions. In return I am hanging their banners and giving out their literature! We have Firenocks, Block Targets, Onestringear Arrow Wraps, Bowtech Archery and several other products!
This is going to be a blast and we will have News crews out there and Tennessee Titan football players and just tons of people so if you in the area be sure and drop by. We’ll have a blast but the real winners are going to be the folks right here in Middle Tennessee, Food Banks, homeless shelters and other needy people. I am going to try and raise more money than anyone so wish us luck. All the proceeds will go to local processors who prepare all that meat.
Any of you guys that want to come out and shoot are welcome here in Nashville to take a shot as well.
So ask yourself the next time you are in the stand and a big old Doe comes by ya, do you really want to wait on a Buck! That may just be a old doe to you but it is dinner for someone else!! So take the shot and donate Gods renewable resource for those that need our help! It’s the right thing to do!
Until next time! Keep it in the 10 ring
