Cattlewomen’s Annual Fun Shoot Funds to Go to Scholarships
by DAPHNE RENELUS
If you’ve never been to a fun shoot event, you’ve been missing out! The Florida Cattlewomen’s annual fun is coming up, and the event can be a fun activity for family and friends.
The event, set for January 4 at Quail Creek Plantation in Okeechobee, is open to shooters of all skill levels. The fun shoot has become so popular that it draws people from all around the state, including Lake Wales, Okeechobee, Highlands County, and Manatee County.
The shoot typically draws about 125 to 135 people. With such a large group of participants, there’s sure to be plenty of socializing along with the shooting.
In fact, that’s the best part for Sarah Childs, leader of the Highlands County Cattlewomen and the Florida Cattlewomen.
“I enjoy the socialization of it,” Childs says. “I get to see a lot of people that come to the shoot that have been coming for quite a few years. ”
Participants can register for the shoot individually or in teams.
The fees to register are as follows:
- Individual: $125
- 2 Shooters $250
- 3 shooters $375
- Team (4 shooters): $500
The fee to rent a golf cart to get around the event’s large shooting course is $50. Of course, participants also have the option of bringing their own golf cart.
Note that the FCW individual and team registration costs include breakfast and lunch. To register, go to the floridacattlemen.org/fcw/
To ensure that you receive the continental breakfast, you must arrive at the Quail Creek Plantation between 8 and 9 a.m. Last-minute participants can register during the event’s one-hour breakfast.
The FCW requires all fun shoot participants to watch a gun safety and instructional demonstration.
To avoid a buildup of people waiting at any particular station, participants start at different stations throughout the course. Once the shooting part of the FCW fun shoot is over, all participants are treated to lunch and can attend an award show and raffle.
The proceeds made from the annual FCW fun shoot event go toward scholarships for students at the college of veterinary medicine, agricultural journalism, and animal science at the University of Florida. Some students at local trade shows and the Florida State Fair will also receive college scholarships from the proceeds made from the FCW fun shoot event.
If anyone understands the positive effects the agricultural and cattle industry can have on someone’s life, it is Childs.
“Being a part of the Florida Cattlewomen’s Association has meant so much to me because the cattle business has provided me with income that has raised and educated my children,” she says.
“Because of that, I want to give back to the rest of the agricultural communities and educate them on how we raise our beef and live our lifestyle.”