Super Shoot shotgun event created for an excellent cause

You still have a couple of weeks to pre-register for a shotgun event that will benefit a very worthy organization. I’ve written before about the Brianna Gregory Foundation, which was started by Neil and Lindy Moss to honor the memory of their daughter, Brianna. Cystic fibrosis claimed Brianna’s young life the day before her 13th birthday in 2003.

I say this is a worthy cause because the foundation was established and is dedicated to improving the quality of life of children with life-threatening illnesses. This goal is accomplished by raising funds for The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Children’s Hospital Tower at Providence.

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is one of the most efficient organizations of its kind with nearly 90 percent of every dollar of revenue being available to fund cystic fibrosis research, care and education programs. The Children’s Hospital Tower at Providence will benefit from the funding of a teen lounge for the adolescent and teen patients of Children’s Hospital. The lounge needs a minimum of $50,000 for furnishings, equipment and supplies.

Last year saw the first Brianna Gregory Memorial Super Shoot, which was held at the Grouse Ridge Shooting Park of Wasilla. With the help of Jay Novacek, Hobo Jim, and many sponsors and shooters, a trust for $10,000 was established toward funding of the teen lounge. The Moss’ had set a goal of having the minimum $50,000 by 2013; however, work at the hospital is progressing faster than originally anticipated and the lounge is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

The funds will be needed even sooner now!

Enough background — when, where and what is this big shotgun event anyway?

The Brianna Gregory Memorial Super Shoot 2010 will be held on Saturday, May 15, at the Grouse Ridge facility. It is a sporting clays event with trophies being awarded for six Lewis Classes of shooters. This is also an NSCA (I think that stands for National Sporting Clays Association) registered event; however, all are welcome to participate and coaches will be available for beginning shooters. The shoot involves 100 clay birds and the cost is $100 per shooter. Five-member shooting squads are encouraged to register and compete for team trophies. The shooting starts at 10 a.m.

A Saturday breakfast buffet will be offered from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. and is included in the registration fee. If you attend to watch and not shoot, the buffet costs $12.95. In addition to the actual shooting event helping to raise funds, there will be several auctions for items donated by the shoot’s many sponsors. A Beretta White Onyx 686 12 gauge over-and-under shotgun with 30-inch barrel will be raffled off that day. Tickets cost $20 each and only 300 tickets will be sold.

In addition, a one-of-a-kind lever-action Henry Golden Boy 22 magnum rifle will be given away at the Super Shoot to a lucky shooter who has earned tickets at a special game held after the main shoot. If you want to purchase proxy tickets for the rifle, you can see Neil Moss or call 355-0962. The rifle is custom engraved on the side of the receiver commemorating the shooting event.

Some of the major sponsors for this year’s memorial shoot include Diversified Tire, Chimo Guns, Neil’s Lock and Safe, Tailgaters Sports Bar and Grill, the Mug-Shot Saloon, the First National Bank Alaska, the Friends of the NRA, BP, Country Legends 100.9, Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, Web Alaska, MTA and Weld Air Alaska. Additional sponsors are being sought and the foundation is in need of donations for the silent auction that will be held during the Super Shoot. Organizers are hoping for donations on deals from tourist-related companies such as charters, flight-seeing or ATV tours, etc., but will be very grateful for anything folks are willing to donate.

This year, a special recognition for all the team sponsors is being offered. Any company or organization that sponsors a team of five shooters will have the opportunity to have their banner or logo displayed along the course. Individual shooting stations can be sponsored for $100, with approximately 12-15 shooting stations the day of the shoot.

As this Super Shoot continues to grow each year, the Moss’ hope to expand it to a two-day affair, with a 100-bird walk-through shoot on Saturday and FITASC and sub-gauge events on Sunday. With the fabulous shooting facilities at Grouse Ridge, this shoot could easily eventually become a northwest regional or even a national event, attracting shooters from all over the northwest and/or the nation. I hope it does.

As a side note, Neil Moss was named the Alaska Basic Hunter Education Volunteer Instructor of the Year for 2009 for his efforts with youth shooting activities here in the Mat-Su Valley. He is also the state representative for the Scholastic Clays Target Program and started a youth league at Grouse Ridge, where over 30 young shotgunners receive weekly coaching from Neil and his crew year-around.

For more information on becoming a sponsor, donating items for the silent auction, registering for the shoot, or just to find out what’s happening at the Super Shoot in general, you can call 373-0961 or go to www.briannashope.org and look around. Even if you’re not a shooter, plan to come out and support the fundraising activity.

It is a worthwhile cause.

Howard Delo is a retired fisheries biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. You can leave him a message by e-mailing sports@frontiersman.com.