As the Hi-Line Sportsmen prepare for their 3rd annual fundraising banquet, scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 23 in Glasgow, the local non-profit group reminds the community to apply for funds to benefit local conservation.
The banquet will include over a dozen guns to be given away by raffles or games, a live auction that includes a number of one-of-a-kind items, including two guns that will be auctioned to raise funds for academic scholarships. Other items include a set of four Hankook DynaPro ATM tires, the final entry in the Milk River Catfish Classic fishing tournament, a homemade quilt by Kay Fjeld and quilt rack by Marlan Lee, a sign by DB Design, snowshoes, cross country ski package, an ice-fishing package, Camp Chef pellet grill, and patio set.
Revenue from the banquet will be used to fund a variety of conservation projects across Valley County and northeastern Montana. In the past year, Hi-Line Sportsmen has contributed to these projects:
- Introduced hunting, firearms safety, and field-dressing and butchering skills to more than half a dozen beginning hunters;
- Sponsored a handgun course and personal-defense training with firearms, concealed carry, and self-defense expert Frank Odermann;
- Held a public sight-in day at the Valley County Rifle & Pistol range;
- Sponsored two youth hunters on a turkey hunt in Nebraska;
- Contributed funds to process over 300 pounds of ground venison that was donated to the local food bank;
- Installed directional signs at the local archery range and helped fund 3-D archery targets;
- Awarded over $12,000 in scholarships to Valley County high school graduates over the past 3 years;
- Sponsored a “Sportsman of the Week” recognition of noteworthy hunting and conservation achievements in the Glasgow Courier;
- Funded an Archery in the Schools package of bows, arrows, and targets for use in Glasgow Middle School;
- Helped fund the electrification of campsites at Boy Scout Park near Park Grove;
- Helped Fish, Wildlife & Parks with fencing materials and in-kind labor to improve fencing at Cree Crossing Wildlife Management Area north of Saco;
- Helped fund an informational video to raise awareness of the need to fund improvements to the Milk River’s St. Mary Canal;
- Helped fund public docks at the marina and The Pines on Fort Peck Reservoir, as well as on Nelson Reservoir;
- Assisted with materials for gate closures made by Hinsdale High School’s shop class and distributed to landowners who allow public hunting;
- Funded the installation of garbage cans at Vandalia Dam Fishing Access, with assistance from Milk River Beaver 4-H Club.
Hi-Line Sportsmen will again distribute banquet revenue in the form of mini-grants to qualifying conservation and community-service projects. If you have a project that you’d like to nominate, please contact Andrew McKean at 263-5442 or montanamckean@gmail.com for a mini-grant application and rules on qualifying projects.
And please attend the banquet to help raise funds that will be reinvested in the community over the next year.
