March 19, 2024
Story by Maggie Harris
Photo by Courtney Liebl
The Barton Foundation aims to enhance the Barton student experience with its 14th Annual Sporting Clay Shoot fundraiser from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m., April 21 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 $152,459 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 $20,000 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 1 get a free hamburger bar lunch and a free carbine tactical knife 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 Franchi Instinct L 12 gauge over/under shotgun, a three-day bow hunt at Camp Aldrich, grill, gift cards, and more are added every day.
Raffle tickets to the bow hunt and Franchi 12ga over/under shotgun 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 shotgun must be 18 and pass a background check to win. Raffle tickets can be purchased at clayshoot.bartonccfoundation.org.
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 the Foundation office at foundation@bartoncc.edu or (620) 786-1136.
Major sponsors
Hammeke Electric
P&S Security
Pryor Automatic Fire and Sprinkler, Inc.
Innovative Livestock Service
Barton Community College
12 Gauge Level Sponsor
MPIRE Improvements
Ricker Seeds, LLC
Rob and Trisha Dove
Pella of Kansas
Great Bend Tribune
20 Gauge Level Sponsor
Craig & Jolene Biggs
First Kansas Bank
MPIRE Realty Group
Eldridge Fencing
Mike & Linda Johnson
Mayo Money Management
Panzer Insurance
Spectrum CPA Partners, LLC
.410 Gauge Level Sponsor
Equity Bank
Kip & Kelly Spray
Ken & Robin Lebbin
Wheatland Electric
Keller Real Estate & Ins. Agency
Bryant Funeral Home
Ellinwood Packing Plant Inc.
Station Sponsors
Farmers Bank & Trust
Rick Bealer
Nels and Karen Lindberg
Advanced Therapy and Sports Medicine
Parts Inc.
10th Street Eye Care Center
Earl & Judy Fox
Levi Keenan-State Farm Agent
Bryant Funeral Home
Kustom Floors
Crosby Wild Game Adventures
C4 Ag Solutions
Great Bend Chamber
D. McMillen, Chtd. CPA
Edward Jones
Gleason Landscaping