Lumberton, Texas— The 3rd Annual Provost Umphrey Get Youth Outdoors Day, held April 29 at the 1-in-100 Gun Club near Lumberton, drew a record attendance of 83 area youth who came to learn safety with firearms, shooting sports, archery, fishing and conservation. .
A cooperative effort between the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA), national partner Provost Umphrey Law Firm, and local union members, the free community event, designed to provide hands-on outdoor experiences for kids ages 9-16, followed the USA steps second annual Provost Umphrey Texas State Sporting Clays pitch the day before.
“Our goal in sponsoring Get Youth Outdoors Day is to teach youth about gun safety and responsibility,” said Joe Fisher, Managing Partner of Provost Umphrey, “as well as offer them the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors by participating in some of the many activities it offers. For some, it was the first time they had held a shotgun or a fishing rod in their hands.”
Coaches and shooters from the Clays 4-H Sporting Club of Jefferson County led the youth participants through an instructional session on firearms safety. Then union volunteers from Roofers International and UA Local 68, as well as members of the Provost Umphrey law firm, helped them learn how to break clay targets at the clay sports stations and hit the target on the archery range. At the club’s pond, the boys learned casting and fishing techniques while catching bass, bluegill and catfish that had been stocked especially for the event.
“Roofers and I have been involved in Get Youth Outdoors days for 11 years,” said Kinsey Robinson, president emeritus of the United Union of Roofers, Waterproofing and Allied Workers, “and this was the best event I’ve ever seen. Provost Umphrey is to be commended for his efforts in organizing and promoting such a special occasion; the facilities are wonderful and the support they received from their employees and union volunteers was phenomenal.
“It allowed young people from different communities and different walks of life to come together,” he continued, “not only to have fun shooting and fishing, but also to learn important lessons about gun safety, as well as a little bit about the union and its role in the big picture if they continue to choose to work in the trades.”
Along with a fantastic outdoor experience, each participant received a free rod and reel, courtesy of the USA, as an incentive to continue their pursuit of outdoor recreation. In addition, the names of five lucky young men were drawn to win a guided hunting or fishing trip provided by the Provost Umphrey law firm.
“My daughter Emelyn was the lucky one to win the whitetail hunting trip,” said mother Renae Rose-Anderson, “and I’m sure it will be a life-changing experience for her. But I also know that the quality of the volunteers, the equipment and the facilities at Outdoor Youth Day made all the kids winners.”
“The future of our natural resources and our outdoor heritage depends on recruiting new entrants who value them throughout their lives,” said US CEO and CEO Walt Ingram. “This outstanding event hosted by the Provost Umphrey team, led by Joe Fisher, set a turnout record for an outdoor Youth Day event in the United States. It is an amazing example of what is possible when you combine union members and great friends of Labor with a Labour-focused conservation organization to tie it all together.”
Provost Umphrey Get Youth Outdoors Day was part of a series of free, community-based youth outreach activities organized by Work Boots on the Ground, America’s flagship conservation program, as well as US founding partners. UIG, ULLICO, Bank of Labor, AFL-CIO Investment Trust Corporation, and Buck Knives.
Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA): USA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to unions whose members hunt, fish, shoot, and volunteer their skills for conservation. America is uniting the union community through conservation to preserve North America’s outdoor heritage. For more information visit unionsportsmen.org or plug in Facebook, Twitter and instagram.
Ground Work Boots (WBG): WBG is America’s flagship conservation program that brings together union members willing to volunteer their time and expertise for conservation projects that enhance and improve public access to the outdoors, conserve wildlife habitat, they restore America’s parks and mentor youth in the great outdoors. The US Work Boots on the Ground program works closely with federal, state and local agencies and other conservation groups to provide the labor needed to complete critical projects that might otherwise go undone.
Provost Umphrey Law Firm: For more than 50 years, our firm’s mission has been to seek justice for those in need. Our attorneys fight for clients across the country with offices in Beaumont, Texas and Nashville, Tennessee. We continue to be one of the most successful trial law firms in the nation by continuing to be hard-working lawyers for hard-working people. For more information, visit http://www.provostumphrey.com.