Many of the proceeds from the auction go towards wildlife and wetlands preservation efforts, and the reason for the event is to bring community members together and to share with them the importance of those efforts, Howard said.
“The purpose of this banquet is to bring the community in and have them share with us an understanding of what wildlife and wetlands preservation really means, and also to have a good evening and a good fun time,” said Howard.
A tribute to the late Gordon Mitchell was made in the form of a special auction in his name. The proceeds of a Henry rifle, which was donated by the local chapter, were presented to the Kentucky Junior Rodeo Association. Megan Mitchell accepted a $1,450 check for the rodeo in honor of Mitchell, who died last year.
The local chapter also presented a $250 check to the Trigg County Arrowcats for their help during the banquet. Howard said the Arrowcats were “instrumental” in making sure the banquet and auction were successful.
The local chapter presented framed portraits of an eagle over water to the families of soldiers who returned from year-long deployments from the Wounded Warrior Transition Battalion at Fort Campbell.
Darrell Watson was the auctioneer for the evening. Items auctioned included firearms, knives, paintings, furniture and backpacks. There were also several raffle items and door prizes.
The Barkley Lake chapter has been putting together this event – which usually brings out between 275 and 325 people – for just about 20 years, and the Barkley Lake Chapter has been around even Longer, Howard said, adding that he and the other committee members are all volunteers.
Howard himself has been involved in the Barkley Lake chapter for sometime and said he wants his grandchildren to be able to enjoy the wildlife as he did.
“We do this for future generations,” Howard said. “We think that the wildlife and waterfowl and the wetlands are important for the future generations, so we try to promote that.”
