Chapters Receive Recognition for National Achievement
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — For outstanding achievement in bringing in new NWTF members and raising funds at education and outreach events, multiple NWTF chapters received national awards during the 48th annual NWTF Convention and Sport Show, sponsored by Mossy Oak.
The accomplishments of this year’s winners include Membership Achievement and Top Contributing Event awards.
Membership Achievement awards are given to chapters that bring in new NWTF members through NWTF outreach and education events, such as JAKES, Women in the Outdoors and Wheelin’ Sportsmen.
Membership Achievement Award recipients include: the NWTF South Dakota State Chapter and the Oklahoma Tenkiller WITO Chapter.
“The South Dakota Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation is very grateful for having been selected to receive NWTF’s Membership Achievement Award for our 2023 Wheelin’ Sportsmen Pheasant Hunt,” said Ron Schauer, NWTF South Dakota Hunt Program chairman. “This was the 19th year for the event, which helps bring together NWTF volunteers and disabled hunters for a day of fun, fellowship and the enjoyment of our hunting heritage! This event is a great example of one of NWTF’s key components in its mission statement: the preservation of our hunting heritage.”
Schauer also said it has been an honor and a privilege to be an NWTF volunteer for over 30 years and be a part of one of the top conservation organizations in the country.
Representatives from NWTF Ohio’s Tenkiller felt similarly about preserving North America’s hunting heritage.
“The NWTF is about conservation and preserving our hunting heritage,” said Leeann Bunn, NWTF Tenkiller WITO coordinator. “My mother was the first woman in the outdoors in my life, and [when] she took me to the woods, I wanted others to do the same for their kids or grandkids. That is why Tenkiller WITO has been close to my heart since we started in 2000. It is an event that is all about giving women the opportunity to be exposed to and become involved in new skills. These women grow into outdoors-minded people who pass on these skills to their children and grandchildren. We have to have recruitment of our young people into these conservation practices if we are to maintain this way of life. Achieving this award is evidence that this committee is succeeding in providing the opportunity for the NWTF to succeed in its mission. We are doing so by providing a quality event for the ladies we serve.”
Similarly to membership achievement awards, Top Contributing Event Awards are given to chapters that raise the most funds through all events.
Top Contributing Event winners were the Wolf Creek Chapter (Ohio) and the Ohio WITO Chapter.
“We have been able to continue to grow and expand over the past 20-plus years because we believe in being open-minded, inclusive and embracing a willingness to grow over time to meet the needs of not only the older members, but to attract new members year after year,” said Amy Rohrbaugh, NWTF Ohio WITO coordinator. “One of the most beautiful things about Ohio WITO is it means so many different things to different people, but it still pulls all of us together to believe in the message and cause of NWTF.”
“From fundraising to mission delivery, our volunteers are our boots-on-the-ground leaders,” NWTF co-CEO Jason Burckhalter said. “We are proud to recognize chapters that host successful outreach events to bring people from all walks of life into our organization, as well as those that go above and beyond to garner new NWTF members and funds for the mission at the same time.”
About the National Wild Turkey Federation
Since 1973, the National Wild Turkey Federation has invested over half a billion dollars into wildlife conservation and has positively impacted over 23 million acres of critical wildlife habitat. The NWTF has also invested over $9 million into wild turkey research to guide the management of the wild turkey population and to ensure sustainable populations into perpetuity. The organization continues to deliver its mission by working across boundaries on a landscape scale through its Four Shared Values: clean and abundant water, healthy forests and wildlife habitat, resilient communities, and robust recreational opportunities. With the help of its dedicated members, partners and staff, the NWTF continues its work to provide Healthy Habitats. and Healthy Harvests. for future generations.