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Flora, Ill. —
They were a-cutting and a-strutting at the Flora Elks Lodge last Saturday, February 4 as the Clay County Cutters and Strutters held their 11th Annual Fundraising Banquet.
The Clay County Cutters and Strutters is a chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, a conservation, hunting and sharing organization.
The proceeds from this event are shared by the local chapter and the State office. Locally they support “The Jake’s Day” program, fund the scholarship award and help to underwrite various school events – in 2011 the Xenia School Field Day, the local hunter safety education program and Charlie Brown Park conservation days. Donations are also given to such organizations as the Elks’ Crippled Children Fund and the local food pantry.
The state organization supports the conservation of wildlife habitat, state and local scholarships for future conservationists, youth hunting, shooting and sport safety, and working with state and local governments to defend hunting and 2nd Amendment Rights.
Generous donations from many, many local businesses of items for the raffles, silent and live auctions are supplemented by the NTWF through the “core supplies” program.
District Representative, Cindy Spillman, is very proud that 99% of all banquet products are purchased from American companies.
The Jake’s Day program is the centerpiece of this chapter’s activities. JAKES is the acronym for Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Sportsmanship. Coordinator Mike Winka said that 90 to 100 juniors take part enjoying a day of bow shooting, gun safety instruction, wild life conservation and a number of activities. This all takes place on Ray Winka’s Farm and this year is tentatively set for September 15.
Mike Winka is also chairman of the Scholarship committee which, this year, awarded a $500.00 scholarship to Ryan Winka. Ryan, an eighteen year old Flora H.S. senior who says he “hunts everything”, plans to attend Olney Central Community College taking general studies before deciding on a major.
During the live auction, expertly conducted by Auctioneer Bob Daggs, a very moving event happened. A beautiful copper sofa table was auctioned. The top bidder was Norma Anderson. A few minutes later, Mrs. Anderson together with her husband, Steve, donated the sofa table to be auctioned again with the sale proceeds going to help defray the medical and other expenses of Hank Lewis, the very young nephew of Jesse Lewis, who lies seriously ill in a St. Louis hospital. As the bidding began to slow down, Auctioneer Daggs suggested that that people at each table pool their resources to increase the bids. The sofa table was sold, again, for $700.00 all going to the Hank Lewis Fund.
As the regular auction continued the group that had the winning bid could not agree as to who should keep the sofa table they had jointly purchased. They asked that it be auctioned, yet again, to individuals only. This time it sold for another $325.00. There were a number of people dabbing at their eyes as Daggs announced that with over $1000.00 already in Hank Lewis’ Fund, a jar was being put out to receive more donations.
It was a wonderful evening full of true, home grown, traditional American values.
They were a-cutting and a-strutting at the Flora Elks Lodge last Saturday, February 4 as the Clay County Cutters and Strutters held their 11th Annual Fundraising Banquet.
The Clay County Cutters and Strutters is a chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, a conservation, hunting and sharing organization.
The proceeds from this event are shared by the local chapter and the State office. Locally they support “The Jake’s Day” program, fund the scholarship award and help to underwrite various school events – in 2011 the Xenia School Field Day, the local hunter safety education program and Charlie Brown Park conservation days. Donations are also given to such organizations as the Elks’ Crippled Children Fund and the local food pantry.
The state organization supports the conservation of wildlife habitat, state and local scholarships for future conservationists, youth hunting, shooting and sport safety, and working with state and local governments to defend hunting and 2nd Amendment Rights.
Generous donations from many, many local businesses of items for the raffles, silent and live auctions are supplemented by the NTWF through the “core supplies” program.
District Representative, Cindy Spillman, is very proud that 99% of all banquet products are purchased from American companies.
The Jake’s Day program is the centerpiece of this chapter’s activities. JAKES is the acronym for Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Sportsmanship. Coordinator Mike Winka said that 90 to 100 juniors take part enjoying a day of bow shooting, gun safety instruction, wild life conservation and a number of activities. This all takes place on Ray Winka’s Farm and this year is tentatively set for September 15.
Mike Winka is also chairman of the Scholarship committee which, this year, awarded a $500.00 scholarship to Ryan Winka. Ryan, an eighteen year old Flora H.S. senior who says he “hunts everything”, plans to attend Olney Central Community College taking general studies before deciding on a major.
During the live auction, expertly conducted by Auctioneer Bob Daggs, a very moving event happened. A beautiful copper sofa table was auctioned. The top bidder was Norma Anderson. A few minutes later, Mrs. Anderson together with her husband, Steve, donated the sofa table to be auctioned again with the sale proceeds going to help defray the medical and other expenses of Hank Lewis, the very young nephew of Jesse Lewis, who lies seriously ill in a St. Louis hospital. As the bidding began to slow down, Auctioneer Daggs suggested that that people at each table pool their resources to increase the bids. The sofa table was sold, again, for $700.00 all going to the Hank Lewis Fund.
As the regular auction continued the group that had the winning bid could not agree as to who should keep the sofa table they had jointly purchased. They asked that it be auctioned, yet again, to individuals only. This time it sold for another $325.00. There were a number of people dabbing at their eyes as Daggs announced that with over $1000.00 already in Hank Lewis’ Fund, a jar was being put out to receive more donations.
It was a wonderful evening full of true, home grown, traditional American values.
