When the Lost Creek Conservation and Wildlife Club formed nine months ago, it was with a vision to be an active force in the community. With that mission in mind, the club – in partnership with Alabama Youth Education in Shooting Sports – hosted Break-A-Clay Day at Cedar Hill Trap Range Saturday as part of National Shooting Sports Month.
“This is something they wanted to do as a board to try to encourage new shooters to come,” explained Wade Willingham, owner of the Russellville range.
The family fun day attracted about 35 for food, door prizes, firearm safety tips and trapshooting.
Molly Mitchell, Lost Creek Conservation and Wildlife Club secretary, said the event was particularly designed to target “kids who might not have ever gotten to do this or be exposed to it and show them what we’re all about.”
Willingham said eight or nine new faces took advantage of the opportunity.
Of course attendees also included youth who are already in love with the sport – like Mitchell’s son Jackson. “He’s done it four years,” Mitchell said. “It’s good people to be around, and it’s a safe sport.”
Club vice president Danny McWilliams’ son Trey is another trapshooting athlete. McWilliams said he has seen Trey’s ability to focus on shooting trap translate into improved focus on his schoolwork. “I told him, ‘If you can focus on shooting a shotgun, you can focus on your English homework,'” McWilliams said. “‘You can give me 15 minutes to go do your homework, like you give us 15 minutes out here in the shooting gallery’ – and that registered with him. His grades got better … It’s been really good for my son, and it’s taught him how to focus.”
McWilliams said the club hopes to have another similar event before the year is out or in early 2020. If it’s anything like Saturday’s event, it will be just what the club and Willingham had in mind. “I’m tickled with what we have out here,” Willingham said. “I felt like today would be really good.”
Of continued focus for the club will be pursuing grants for youth shooting and other activities, funding a scholarship for senior shooters and promoting safe shooting.
“You say kids and guns, and a lot of people run away,” Willingham pointed out. He and the Lost Creek club want to change those misconceptions and put a focus on firearms safety.
Greg Robinson is president of the Lost Creek Conservation and Wildlife Club, and Lori Peden is treasurer. Other board members include Todd Richardson, Randy Jarnigan, Mitchell Marks and Roy Lynch.
For more information email lostcreekcwc@gmail.com or call or text 256-284-3817.