The Auburn Forestry Club recently held a Sporting Clay Shoot event at the Auburn Oaks Farm in Notasulga, AL. to raise money for Log-A-Load in support of the Children’s Miracle Network of Alabama.
The event had significant success with about a hundred people attending and the estimated total of collected donations to the Network being over $7,000.
The website for Log-A-Load explains that the basic concept of Log-A-Load For Kids “is for loggers and wood-supplying businesses to donate the value of a load of logs, or any amount, to a nearby Children’s Miracle Network Hospital to be used in treating ill and injured children. In addition, special fundraising events are organized by Log-A-Load For Kids® volunteers to supplement donations to the hospitals.”
Auburn’s Forestry Club has held events for this same cause for the past sixteen years, and this year’s Sporting Clay Shoot received a record number of proceeds, all of which will go to benefit the Network.
The final total has yet to be confirmed because of the continued sale of raffle tickets for a Westervelt 45- quart Yeti cooler graciously donated by The Westervelt Company.
The drawing for the cooler will be held on Dec. 3 so there is still time to buy a raffle ticket and contribute to the Children’s Miracle Network. Tickets can be bought from any Forestry Club member.
Forestry Club member Thomas Gilpin comes from a family in the timber industry, and having always been aware of Log-A-Load and their mission to help children, he was honored to be elected by the club as the Log-A-Load event coordinator.
Gilpin attributes the event’s success to the club’s ability to promote the event to donors and attendees as he and his fellow members prepared for the skeet shoot. Gilpin personally called industry professionals across the state to encourage them to attend and support the event.
“Our fundraiser is for a great cause, and people want to participate, but you have to pick up the phone and call them,” said Gilpin.
Gilpin included that the diversity of attendees helped to bring in support for the event as well. The Forestry Club hosted loggers, wood dealers, local mills, and equipment companies who attended along with other related businesses for this year’s clay shoot.
“Log-A-Load is something that I, and the industry as a whole, take very seriously. I believe that this networking opportunity for our industry participants and students helped bring people to the event,” said Gilpin.
Gilpin also wants to thank all of the forestry club officers who worked tirelessly to help make the event successful.
The club’s faculty advisor, Forestry Professor Tom Gallagher, is very pleased with this year’s Log-A-Load fundraiser results.
“All the club members worked hard on this event and I am proud of what they accomplished. Special recognition goes to Thomas Gilpin who really put this thing together,” said Gallagher.
As for what the club has planned for the future, they will continue to sell fire wood through the winter and are planning on hosting another sporting clay shoot next fall.
Contact Forestry Club member Thomas Gilpin at ttg0006@auburn.edu for more information about the ongoing raffle.
(Written by Avanelle Elmore)
