~courtesy of The Scranton Journal
Members and friends of the Greene County Pheasants Forever chapter opened the season Saturday, Oct. 27, with their annual banquet held at Clover Hall on the Greene County Fairgrounds in Jefferson. A good-sized crowd enjoyed a meal catered by Lidderdale Country Store.
Planning the event were committee members Kevin Devilbiss, Jeff Gorsuch, Mike Minnihan, Fred Long, Susan Cort, Dean Dozier, Scott Weber and Steve Cort. New committee members are always welcome to help plan the event next fall.
A variety of games and activities tested the skill and luck of attendees with numerous prizes awarded.
The auctions are always the big event of the night. Kevin Lentz cried the live auction, bringing in almost $2,500. A silent auction also collected bids which were donated to PF.
Each year an item is auctioned with each holder entitled to a chance at several prizes. This year a bright orange cooler was sold, with 11 on the live auction and two on the silent auction. About $1,700 was raised in this program. Mike Minnihan’s number was drawn first and he selected a gun as the top prize. All the buyers received a gift but some are more valuable than others.
A large number of door prizes were awarded to ticket holders. Youngsters in Pheasants Forever are referred to as Ringnecks. They assisted in passing out the prizes.
A special drawing for Ringnecks was held with Maddie Frantum of Johnston taking home a gun, with the help of her father Brian.
Special thanks was given to the Beryl Johnson family who contributed some of his wildlife collection to the banquet.
Sponsors help make the banquet a success. Contributing as Gold Sponsors were Home State Bank, Greene County Soil and Water, Slininger-Schroeder Funeral Home, Kevin and Teresa Devilbiss, Doc’s Stadium in Jefferson, Steve and Julie Karber, 209 Main in Paton, Central Iowa Memorials, Mike and Phyllis Minnihan, Edward Jones / Dean Dozier, Mick and Vicki Subbert and Dunkers by Matt.
Other local businesses contributed cash and prizes which results in a successful banquet.
Greene County PF has been a big factor in the preservation and promotion of hunting in the area. In the past 32 years, PF has engaged 142 food plot projects on 750 acres; 2,626 acres of land projects; 7,700 acres of nesting projects and 200 acres of shelterbelt projects.
Nationwide, PF has been instrumental in the conservation of 17 million historical acres; 530,000 historical habitat projects; 12,000 wildlife habitat projects in 2017; $784 million in expenditures for historical habitat and educational programs.
There have been 190,730 acres opened to public hunting through 1,522 land acquisitions since 1982.
Pheasants Forever is the only conservation group with the unique grassroots system of fundraising and project development that allows local chapters to decide how to spend 100 percent of the net funds they raise.
PF is dedicated to the conservation of pheasants, quail and other wildlife through habitat improvements, public awareness, education and land management policies and programs.
For more information call 1-877-773-2070 or visit www.PheasantsForever.org
