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Fri Nite @ Wildwood Hills Ranch

ElkHunter

Life Member
Six weeks ago Ironwood, Camoman & myself installed a curtain so the kids could shoot indoors at the camp.
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Fri night Camokid,Camoman,Ironwood and myself were there to help the kids shoot for the first time.Most of these kids have very little to smile about at home, but they had a great time Fri night. It was hard to tell who enjoyed themselves more the adults or the kids.
I'll let Kevin explain the program to those not familiar with it.(I'm just the camera man) I'll just say with some work from Kevin, Mike, Taylor and staff of Wildwood and a contribution from the IBA the program is really taking off.

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Looks like more fun than work. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif

Don't know anything about the program,But it looks like a good one.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: flatlander</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Looks like more fun than work. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif

Don't know anything about the program,But it looks like a good one. </div></div>

Well done. By the looks of the smiles on the kids faces it appears to be a great success. Looks like they are shootin good to. Great job guys.
 
Ironwood, Elkhunter, Camokid and Camoman - archery's expanded version of the Three Stooges /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif . It was a fun evening with the kids. During the summer, this ranch hosts nine weeks of camps - the majority of which are spent with at-risk kids who are able to come because of the generosity of others. In the off-season, the ranch holds some Bounceback Weekends, where some of these kids are brought in for a weekend retreat. The primary intent is to mentor these kids, and give them tools to cope with the life challenges that await most of them when they go back home.

The IBA donated the needed equipment so that Wildwood Hills Ranch could add archery to their summer programming. That was very successful, but it was just round one. We are now using indoor archery for these Bounceback events, with the plan of working with a few of these kids in a one-on-one mentoring program. 2008 should see that become a reality. Beyond that, we are hoping, and planning to add a few hunts with a select few of the older teens. That may or may not happen this fall - I sure hope it does.

Just something to keep in mind - we will be looking for a few helpers to work with the kids in the future. Several will be needed for 1 hour coaching segments during the summer camp (late afternoon), and some may be needed to help us with these Bounceback events. It isn't very time consuming, but it is real rewarding. You ought to see the smiles, high fives, and cheers when some of these kids punch an arrow into the yellow ring. When Randy took these photos, the kids wanted to know if they could get a copy of them. They are very excited and proud of their shooting success. The biggest qualification is wanting to encourage a kid who could REALLY use a kind word. I won't take up more space here with their stories, but some of the things they have seen, heard and experienced would likely bring tears to your eyes. If you are interested, and/or have questions, please send me a PM. This is a great program, and so far, I think I've gotten much more out of it than what I've given. A VERY special thanks to Ironwood, Elkhunter and Camokid (my son, Taylor) for your genersosity, time and effort. Life is good . . . and it's nice to be able to share that with a few other great young people.
 
Thanks for the nice comments. However, I am feeling kind of awkward with that, and want to clarify why we put this post out. We REALLY don't want it to sound self-congratulating. In fact, it took a minor miracle (and some blackmail) for Randy and Mike to allow themselves to be publicly mentioned in this project. Not because they are shy, but because they are humble about their service work. We are absolutely excited about what is starting to happen with this program at the ranch - and wanted to share that with you. I originally struggled with whether to talk about this, because I'm not a big fan of people who do things to get noticed. I know about some of the service work and ministry projects that some are you are involved in. Your efforts dwarf what we are doing, yet those works stay below the radar. The two main reasons we are showing the Wildwood program is to 1)Convey our excitement with this program 2)Hopefully encourage a few others to get involved with helping others. This site is packed with great people, and you can make a great difference in the lives of others - regardless of what that service work is. From time to time, we will include some updates as the program grows and advances. Sorry for the long post - just needed to get it said.
 
Great work to all involved...I know this isn't a man-praising thing like you said Kevin, but we need to hear about this stuff to encourage all the rest of us!!

Wow....great teamwork it sounds like to me; and all for something that goes far beyond ourselves for a Greater cause...

Serving others is the epitamy of we should be doing if we truly love what we do...if we believe and love what we do, then shouldn't we help/tell others about it??

A big thanks for sharing!
 
Just too be real clear, I am only the sidekick. Kevin started the wheels turnin here and Randy has made much happen. I mostly just open my mouth. Easy /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif

We are really having fun and I hope the rewards multiply.
 
You guys are champions. Many of us should follow your lead and work with young people. We can make a difference in their lives.


Please join and support the Iowa Bowhunters Association, united we can make a difference.

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