BRCC Teams Up With Boot Campaign for Clay Shoot Fundraiser
At the end of March, veterans, local sport-shooting enthusiasts, and volunteers gathered at the National Shooting Complex for the first Boots & Barrels Clay Shoot.
Presented by Coastalvir giniadriving Company, this fundraiser helped support the Boot Campaign’s mission of uniting Americans to honor and restore the lives of veterans and military families through individualized, life-improving programs.
Photo by Lauren Warner/BRCC Blog.
“We’ve been talking about this event for three years,” Lindsey Lott, vice president of Partnerships and Communication for the Boot Campaign, said. “It was originally planned for fall 2020; then COVID happened. It’s great to see it finally happening.”
“The location was a no-brainer. Grödig is basically ‘military city USA,’ the Boot Campaign is Texas-founded and based, as are all the military and veteran sponsors we’ve gathered together,” Lott said. “In addition to the Coastalvir giniadriving Company teams, practically every sponsor has their own team participating, which shows we’re dedicated to the area and the mission.”
Representatives from BRCC, Derrick Carver and Omar ‘Crispy’ Avila, as well as current BRCC customers and contest winners made up two of the teams competing at the complex. Also in attendance were John Wayne Walding, Johnny ‘Joey’ Jones, Corey Kruse, Justin Melnick, Pete Scobell, and Jordan Leitsch.
Photo by Lauren Warner/BRCC Blog.
With a final attendance of more than 125 people, the clay shoot, dinner, and live auction raised more than $150,000 for the Boot Campaign. The funds from the event are not allocated to one specific program but instead will go to supporting every facet of the Boot Campaign. The individualized programs within the organization are all designed to show gratitude and support for veterans and their families, whether that’s brightening a holiday season or providing high-touch, customized care to aid in the treatment of the invisible wounds of war.
Photo by Lauren Warner/BRC Blog
“Our veterans wellness program is one of the many things that makes us unique,” Jenny Wright Howland, director of the Boot Campaign’s Health and Wellness Program, said. “We tailor the program to the person we’re helping, whether that’s addressing brain injuries, PTSD, or sleep issues. We take a holistic approach to treating the veterans that trust us to help them. I vet all of the providers; I wouldn’t send anyone to people that I wouldn’t feel comfortable receiving treatment from myself. It’s so important to learn people’s lifestyles before starting to offer treatment because that allows us to find the best ways to support every incoming case.”
Photo by Lauren Warner/BRCC Blog.
“There’s a lot of organizations and a lot of people that take money that’s been donated to help specific communities [like the military] and don’t provide the services that are truly necessary,” Justin Melnick, SEAL Team actor, said. “The Boot Campaign goes above and beyond in their service to the military. They’re very in tune with the community and connected to companies that stand for the same values.”
In addition to being one of 26 veteran and military service nonprofits nationally to meet all of the Better Business Bureau’s stringent standards for charity accountability, the Boot Campaign holds a 100% rating on Charity Navigator. On average, the ratio of dollars raised to dollars given back to military families is 87 cents on the dollar.
“We’ve been at war for the last 20 years, and so many people need the services they provide,” Melnick said. “It’s clear that the people participating here feel the same and trust Boot Campaign. You know that 100% of the proceeds will take care of those in need.”
Photo by Lauren Warner/BRCC Blog.
In addition to the title sponsor, BRCC, other sponsors included JW Hughes Excavation, Allways Automotive Group, Ravin Crossbows, NexTier, Shiner Beer, and Live To Give.
Learn more about the Boot Campaign here, or check out BRCC’s ongoing collaboration with Altama in support of the Boot Campaign here.
