My home town has been in the national spotlight a lot over the last year. To read/watch the news one would think this is the most depressing, dysfunctional town on the planet. From 198.5 inches of snow and Netflix’s “Evil Genius” we’ve taken a pretty good beating in the last 18 months. What the world isn’t shown is the hope, positive attitude and entrepreneurial spirit that radiates from this town. Known worldwide for its sunsets, Erie is a town that is letting the sun set on old, business as usual thinking and watching the sun rise on innovation, collaboration and a new dawn.
It is against this backdrop that I am starting my business- Archery Encounters LLC. We aren’t your typical archery business though. We focus on educating the communities within our community and building the bridges we need in order to grow the sport. By building and bonding communities through humankind’s oldest technological system we reconnect our whole community to each other through one of the few vehicles humans share universally regardless of where they are from, what piques their interest, or what their physical abilities may be… archery!
Throughout this entrepreneurial journey one thing has been made crystal clear: Regardless of the community one identifies with, all have a fascination with archery. Each year I have events where kids from all religions, ethnic, socioeconomic and racial backgrounds are participating and waiting patiently for their turns at the line to pull a bow and shoot an arrow, and three amazing things happen:
They talk and laugh with each other, the ones that catch on quicker help the others “get it” AND a select few hang out and help me help the others. These kids WANT to learn, want to help and want to succeed.
It is my lofty goal to make it happen for these kids. It is these kids, and their families, who will make ArchErie mean something more than a slick marketing slogan. It will mean a community bonded by the sport of archery. It will mean a community that is proud of their families as their children represent them to the world and it will mean children who are proud to represent a city in transition through a sport in transition.
For more please go to: Tim Case
