March 22, 2023
Story by Joe Vinduska
The Barton Foundation aims to enhance the Barton student experience with its 13th Annual Sporting Clay Shoot fundraiser from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. Sunday, April 16 at Camp Aldrich, 884 NE 110 Ave. in Claflin. The money raised is used for Faculty Mini-Grants, which Barton faculty members can use to enhance student learning experiences in their classrooms. The Foundation has awarded $132,479 in mini-grants to date.
Executive Director of Institutional Advancement Lindsey Bogner said the event allows the Foundation the opportunity to provide great support in our classrooms to improve student learning experiences.
“Last year, we were able to fund over $12,500 in Mini-Grants across Barton campuses because of the generous support of our sponsors, shooters, and guests,” she said. “This year, we hope to do the same.”
Participants can compete as individuals or as three-person teams in a modified Lewis Class style tournament. The shoot begins at 9 a.m. with a shotgun start. Shooters can start the course throughout the day, but the last shooter starts by 3 p.m.
Registration is $100, and those who pre-register by April 3 get a free pulled pork and beef lunch and a free hunter orange, fleece-lined hat as an early-bird prize. Shooters will need to provide their own shells. A small amount of ammo will be available for sale, but you must call ahead and shoot at the event to purchase this ammo. ATVs and golf carts are welcome. Those interested can register at clayshoot.bartonccfoundation.org.
Registration includes 100 sporting clays, prizes for the overall winners and Lewis Class winners, and raffle drawings for great gifts, including a matching set of 12 gauge and 20 gauge Winchester pump shotguns, a three-day bow hunt at Camp Aldrich, grill, gift cards, and more are added every day.
New this year, raffle tickets to the bow hunt and matching gun set are available to the public through a “Gun & Hunt Raffle” with tickets at $5 each, and the purchaser can choose which prize they’d like to win. The winner will be drawn at 3 p.m. the day of the shoot and does not have to be present to win. The winner of the 12/20 matching gun set must be 18 and pass a background check to win.
Linden Target Sports will handle logistics and supply the equipment. The company has designed a course to complement the beautiful landscape of Camp Aldrich, which sits on 290 acres of rolling sand hills and wilderness areas located two miles north of Highway 156 between Claflin and the Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area. The camp boasts at least 70 species of wildflowers and grasses, 57 different types of birds, deer, turkey, and various other animals; some of which are on the endangered species list.
For more information, contact Donna McCormick at mccormickd@bartoncc.edu or (620) 792-9306.
Major sponsors
Hammeke Electric, Inc.
P & S Security
Barton Community College
Pryor Automatic Fire Sprinker, Inc.
Innovative Livestock Service
12 Gauge Level Sponsor
Ricker Seeds
Rob & Trisha Dove
MPIRE Improvements
Kansas Trophy Experience
20 Gauge Level Sponsor
Mike and Linda Johnson
Craig & Jolene Biggs
First Kansas Bank
Spectrum CPA Partners, LLC
MPIRE Realty Group
Great Bend Tribune
Mayo Money Management
Panzer Insurance
Eldridge Fencing Inc.
.410 Gauge Level Sponsor
Rick Bealer
Kip and Kelly Spray
Ken and Robin Lebbin
Equity Bank
Advanced Therapy & Sports Medicine
Keller Real Estate & Insurance Agency
Station Level Sponsor
Farmers Bank & Trust
Marian DeWerff
American Plains Co-Op
Parts Inc.
10th Street Eye Care Center
Earl & Judy Fox
Kustom Floors
Crosby Wild Game Adventures
C4 Ag Solutions
L & M Contractors
Big R Store
Great Bend Chamber
D. McMillen, Chtd. CPA
Edward Jones (Jim Vopat, Jim Armatys & Todd Armatys)
Levi Keenan State Farm Agent
Bryant Funeral Home
Ellinwood Packing Plant Inc.