Evening Lions’ annual extravaganza approaches

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Wild game, shooting sports center of fundraiser’s menu

By AMANDA KIMBLE

TheFlashToday.com

STEPHENVILLE (March 20, 2016) – Stephenville Evening Lions Club, which includes a membership of local businessmen, hunting aficionados and avid outdoorsmen, hosts the 21st Annual Upland Bird Extravaganza Wild Game Dinner and Auction Friday, April 15 at City Hall at City Limits.

But the Evening Lions and fellow lovers of the sport will first gather Saturday, April 2 for a five-stand and sporting clays championship, also celebrating its 21st year.

Kyle Masters, chairman of this year’s event, said in two decades Upland Bird Extravaganza has raised more than $1.2 million. Those funds have been funneled back into the local community since the inaugural year, and the list of beneficiaries continues to grow.

“A few” of the causes supported by the Evening Lions include Stephenville ISD Education Foundation, Boy and Girl Scouts, Backpack Buddies, Stephenville High School Outdoor Adventure Class, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Erath County Junior Livestock Show, Tarleton State University shooting sports, 4-H clubs and events and angel trees at Christmastime. The organization is also a major supporter of BBQ, Bands and Bottle Rockets on the Bosque, which is the area’s July 4 celebration.

Masters said many of the projects and organizations the Evening Lions support also foster a love for the outdoors.

“Some of the things we support are not outdoor related, but we always try to give back to the kids,” Masters said. “First and foremost our goal was to help local Boy Scouts, but the club has evolved into one that donates to anything we feel is beneficial. We have a donation committee that reviews all donation requests and makes the decisions on what to support.”

And the growing list of causes and organizations across Erath County means the club must constantly work to increase attendance at Upland Bird Extravaganza events, the sole fundraiser for the group.

Shooting sports

Club member Shane Pack, a tournament shooter, has organized the shoot for about five years and said the participant list has grown tremendously over the years. It started with 40 or 50 shooters gathering at Box H Bird Ranch to about 150 participants of all skills levels competing in a fun shoot at Lone Star Sporting Clays.

“We welcome shooters of every skill level, and everybody has a chance to play,” Pack said. “Being a tournament shooter myself, I didn’t want to make the course too hard for others. It’s fun shoot, more of a hunting experience than a tournament.”

Pack said attendees range in age from 8 to 80 years old, welcoming entire families – wives, husbands, kids, grandkids and grandparents.

“We’ve really worked to get back to the family atmosphere,” he said. 

The shooting events are held two weeks prior to the dinner and auction, serving as reunion of sorts for regular participants and allowing the Evening Lions to attract the interest of new like-minded supporters and community members prior to the larger event.

Shooting events include “The Team 5 Stand” for three-person teams of individuals employed by the corporation entering the team for the $300 fee. “The Open 5 Stand and Sporting Clays” includes a 25-bird five-stand, 100 sporting clay round for $125. The “Annie Oakley” (knock out) round is $10 per round with the winner retaining 50 percent.

Registration begins at 8 a.m. April 2 at Lone Star Sporting Clays, which is located at 3355 West U.S. Highway 67, toward Glen Rose. Shooting begins at 8:30 a.m.

Individuals interesting in registering a team or individual and those who would like more information on the sporting events can contact Shane Pack at (254) 434-1378.

The big event

The wild game dinner and auction invites community members to sample a menu of wild game – things like buffalo, rabbit, red stag, wild hog, alligator, duck, dove, deer and rattlesnake. The vittles were bagged by the Evening Lions themselves.

Whether it’s the menu, company or raffle and auction with an array of attractive big-ticket item, Upland Bird Extravaganza is known far and wide as the fete you don’t want to miss.

“Over the past 20 years, our wild game dinner and auction has grown into one of the largest and most anticipated civic events in the area,” 2016 Auction Chairman Josh Raymond said. “We have served more than 500 people at each of the last four year’s dinners and raised more than $180,000 – a record – in 2015.”

Called a “Rell of a Haffle,” the 2016 raffle will have five winners, taking home one of five prizes – a 2016 Polaris Ranger 570-6, Browning Xbolt WhiteGold 25-06, Beretta A400 Xtreme, Colt Defender 9mm
or Trijicon Binoculars.

Only 600 raffle tickets are sold and can be purchased for $100 each from any Evening Lions Club member or at Star Arms or Texas Farm Bureau.

Masters said the club keeps the crowd coming back year after year by offering something new and exciting annually. This year might be the best yet as the club aims to bust last year’s record-setting earnings.

Raymond said the 2016 live auction list is complete, but the club is still seeking about 70 items for the silent auction, as well as underwriters for a list of live auction items purchased by the club, including a welding machine, plasma cutter, a Desert Eagle 50 caliber pistol, Kal-Tech shotgun with suppressor, an AR-15 and more.

Raymond also said underwriting the items not only adds to the club’s fundraising account, it’s also a “prime advertising opportunity” for area businesses, organizations, and individuals who will be named when the items hit the auction block.

For more information on underwriting live auction items or donating to the silent auction, contact Josh Raymond at (940) 872-0887.

“We hope everyone makes plan to join us April 15 in offering continued support on our endeavor to local youth groups in Erath County,” Raymond said.

“This year, our goal is $220,000,” Masters said. “I know that’s a big step, a big jump from $180,000 but you have to keep the bar raised. Every year we work to get new raffle and auction items to keep things new and exciting year after year and give everyone another reason to show up. If for no other reason, we want them to continue to come out of curiosity, just to see what we’re serving and what they can take home.

Tickets to the event can be purchased at the door for $20 per person – or $10 each with a coupon included with (auction) bidder numbers.

For more information on the club and Upland Bird Extravaganza, visit facebook.com/stephenvilleelc

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