November/December 2010: Volume 18, Number 6 - USA Shooting

The Bunker Club and AthleteEndowment: Helping ShootersAim for SuccessUSA Shooting is made possible through generous donations,sponsorships, funding from the United StatesOlympic Committee and various other resources.One such avenue is the Bunker Club and the AthleteEndowment. Col. Dennis Behrens spearheaded theBunker Club effort, which was originally established to help purchasenew trap machines for the U.S. International Shooting Park in ColoradoSprings. With that objective accomplished, the sportsmen andsportswomen of the Bunker Club, decided to continue to raise fundsfor the fuel of USA Shooting: the athletes. The Bunker Club stillexists but with a larger objective—to help fund the Athlete Endowment.Membership to the Bunker Club requires a $3,000 donationAs is often said in the act of bolstering resources—any amounthelps. The Athlete Endowment was created to help aspiring andjunior athletes become high level competitors. As is obvious, suchtalent is the lifeblood of USA Shooting’s continued international success.The Athlete Endowment is unlike any other funding as it is notspecific to any discipline and is more flexible, supporting rifle, pistol,and shotgun. The immediate goal is to raise $1.5 million and thendistribution of funds will begin. That money will be given directly toindividual athletes. The long-term goal of the Athlete Endowmentis to raise $3 million to help sustain Olympic shooting in America.All of the money collected will be placed in the endowment. The endowmentremains in perpetuity and will provide money for athletesMembers of the Bunker Club gather around the U.S. to shoot, socializeand discuss initiatives.to the Athlete Endowment, but anyone can contribute to the AthleteEndowment.For those interested in becoming Bunker Club members, pleasecontact Col. Behrens at behrsafari@aol.com or Bob Mitchell at Robert.Mitchell@USAShooting.org.Bunker Club membership comeswith a lifetime membership to USA Shooting, a USA Shooting Teamjacket and a commemorative plaque. Moreover, once or twice a yearCol. Behrens leads the Bunker Club to various locations aroundthe U.S. to socialize, shoot and discuss projects in which the groupbecomes involved. They have met in Napa, San Antonio, ColoradoSprings and Savannah. Members have also shot together in Ireland,Spain, Kenya and Argentina.The Members of the Bunker Club (and accompanying spouses) celebrateHalloween with a visit to the Ford Plantation in Georgia.forever. Payments to athletes will be made from interest and investmentsmade by the endowment.If you would like to make a contribution to the Athlete Endowment,please send a check to USA Shooting, c/o Athlete Endowment,One Olympic Plaza, Colorado Springs, CO, 80909. You canalso make a contribution with credit card by calling Karie Wright,USAS Comptroller, at 719-866-4887. If you want to donate securitiesor property, call Robert Mitchell at 719-866-4899. Any amount orcontribution will be greatly appreciated. Clubs could also consideradding a small premium to entry fees to help support the Endowment.We need the whole shooting and hunting community to helpbuild this legacy of developing shooters.30 USA Shooting NewsNov-Dec Issue 2010.indd 3011/8/10 9:22 PM