GERVAIS, OR — Forty-six shooters of all skill levels took part in the inaugural Union Sportsmen’s Alliance’s (USA) sporting clay shoot held Oct. 15 at Mitchell’s Clay Target Sports in Gervais.
Shooters from various unions, contractors, family members, and outdoor enthusiasts raised nearly $10,000 to support the USA’s wildlife conservation projects.
The Gervais stop was part of USA’s Pacific Northwest tour. On Oct. 13, 74 shooters gathered in Puyallup for the third annual Puget Sound Clay Shoot hosted by the International Association of Machinists. That group raised $20,000 for wildlife conservation projects.
Collectively, the two events drew 40 teams from across the Northwest and garnered “significant community support from nearly 20 sponsors,” said USA Director of Events and Fundraising Nate Whiteman.
A team from Scott Wealth Management — comprised of Casey Scott, Craig Rhea, Carl “Skip” Zapffe, and Dave Farley — took home the top prize at the Gervais shoot with a score of 333.
Finishing second, with a score of 263, was a team from Seattle-based Boilermakers Local 104 — Lance Hickey, Barry Stevahn, Isiah Willis, and Brian Fenlon.
Third place went to a team from Portland-based IBEW Local 125 — Lucas Buyas, Mike McGriff, Ryan Showerman, and Matt Unger. They scored a 239.
Zapffe took top honors for individual shooters at Gervais, with a score of 95. Keri Bryson, with IBEW Local 125 Team C, captured top honors for women with a score of 51.
In Puyallup, a team from Seattle-based IBEW Local 46 — comprised of Shawn and Lori Kuhns, Jason Snodgrass, and Greg Zavoyna — took home the top prize, with a score of 330.
Greg Howe from the Sunrise Dental team was the top shooter, with a score of 93. Lori Kuhns of the winning Local 46 team was the top woman shooter with a score of 88.
“We’re excited about the continued growth of the Northwest portion of our shooting tour,” Whiteman said. “Not only did the events raise a significant amount of money to support our conservation mission, but it united union members from various communities for a great cause during a time when union solidarity is crucial to the labor movement.”
The Pacific Northwest events were the 18th and 19th stops this year, part of a 25-city tour covering 17 states, including Alaska. The first event was held Feb. 12 in Sunrise, Florida, and the last one is scheduled for Dec. 10, in Corona, California.
USA is a union-dedicated outdoor organization whose members hunt, fish, shoot and volunteer their skills for conservation. The USA’s goal is to unite the labor community to expand and improve hunting and fishing access and wildlife habitat throughout North America.
[See a full list of scores from the USA’s shooting tour here.]
This is a great event I hope it happens again.