This past October, an event popped up on my calendar that made me smile: Shooting Hunger. It’s something I look forward to covering every year.
Shooting Hunger was formed in 2015 by the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation and Farm Credit Mid America, and during the program’s first year, it raised enough funds to provide more than 88,000 meals for hungry Tennesseans. Tennessee Farmers Co-op joined the effort the following year, and soon, the program was adopted by individuals and organizations from every corner of the agriculture industry. Organizers report more than 2 million meals have been raised since its inception.
This year, the Shooting Hunger team added its first event in East Tennessee, held October 28 at the Crossville Shooting Sports Park in Cumberland County. Even though rain was forecasted, more than 50 teams of sporting clay enthusiasts braved the weather to support the cause and enjoy a day of fun and fellowship. The morning flight enjoyed almost perfect weather, but showers did dampen the afternoon activities.
The East Tennessee event was the third and final of the Shooting Hunger schedule for 2021. Events were also held in West Tennessee at the Carrol County Shooting Sports Park on June 25 and in Middle Tennessee at the Nashville Gun Club on September 9.
Honestly, these events are a bit like family reunions. As one of the designated photographers, I get to visit, at least briefly, with each team that comes through the course. It’s great to see faces and share a few moments with these folks. It’s an assignment I really enjoy.
One of my TFC friends and coworkers — Event and sales support manager , Jimmy Ogilvie — was one of the many familiar faces on hand for the event.
“Co-op is proud to support Shooting Hunger and try to help our neighbors in need,” said Jimmy. “Many of our local Co-ops provide support as well. And we all enjoy pulling together to stage these events.”
And the work is important.
“It’s hard to believe one in five Tennesseans live in a home where there is food insecurity, meaning the family may not have enough resources to provide reliable access to food and may miss meals,” Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation Director of Communications Lee Maddox told the group. “One in four Tennessean children live in those conditions. This event helps us to meet our goal for 2021 of providing more than 100,000 backpack meals for Tennessee children.”
Proceeds from the event will be shared with local food banks and distributed across the state. Especially during the holidays, the resources become stretched. As always, we encourage you to donate to your local food banks whenever possible and help out your Tennessee neighbors.