Taking Aim: Dream Hunt holds annual fundraiser at Honey Brake – Mississippi’s Best Community Newspaper
Aim: Dream Hunt hosts an annual fundraiser at Honey Brake
Published 4:49 p.m. Thursday 25 August 2022
JONESVILLE — Last year, the Dream Hunt Foundation’s Miss Lou chapter took 12 kids on a hunt at Rifle Point Hunting Club. All 12 enjoyed the hunt of a lifetime and brought down a deer that provided meat for their families.
To raise funds for another hunt, the foundation is hosting its second annual skeet sporting event 27.8.
The event will be held at the Honey Brake Gun Club in Jonesville, said Jonathan Willard, president of the Miss Lou chapter Jonathan Willard.
The goal of Dream Hunt is for 30 teams of four shooters to compete at the event, with registration starting at 8:00 am and the competition at 9:00 am. There will be prizes and more at the fundraiser.
Registration for the clay court competition started two weeks ago and only four team courts are still open.
“The goal this year is to take 20 children to hunt. Last year was a build year to make sure it works,” Willard said. “We were able to host and had a great turnout. All 12 children got their first deer. We are trying to grow and raise enough money to accommodate 20 children and hopefully give them the same experience as last year.”
Willard said organizers would like to include a day of fishing or other outdoor activities in the future. All of the children who hunt with the Dream Hunt Foundation are challenged in some way, and all were Louisiana residents.
Willard began the Dream Hunt Miss-Lou chapter last year after moving away from Monroe. He said Miss-Lou has so many resources and opportunities to give children experiences in nature.
“We can take children who may not have the opportunity to go outside. We can take them on the hunt of their dreams,” Willard said. “We get as much out of leading the kids as they do. Everyone is welcome to help. We need volunteers, especially as we host 20 children this year.”
Volunteers helped with camp cooking and clay shooting. The organizers also need volunteers to help with skeet shooting. All guides or cameramen for deer hunting are selected by the committee, he said.
“We have more places to hunt than children can loot. It’s a good foundation and philanthropy for our region,” Willard said. “All of this requires staff. For hunting, we need landowners to help us hunt on their property. We try to give a child the best chance and we try to put them in the best position to harvest a deer. Above all, we give them a camp experience. Nature is our greatest resource and sharing it is just amazing.”
The main sponsor of this year’s Sporting Clays fundraiser is Hunters for Humanity, a non-profit organization. Willard said Drew Keeth and Stephen Dawkins play key roles in setting up the fundraiser.
$2,000, beverage sponsorship $2,000 and gun sponsorship $1,000.
Visit www.dreamhunt.tv/clayshoot for more information.