Mineral County Shooting Sports Association hosts fall banquet

Just like clockwork, the Mineral County Shooting Sports Association (MCSSA) holds a fall banquet that is extremely popular because of the great chow, auction items you dream of owning and camaraderie that is second to none. This year's event is Sept. 26.

“This is our 6th year that we have done this on our own,” reports Shawn Heyer, Co-Chair of the Banquet Committee.

This event was co-sponsored for many years with Friends of the NRA but the local organization wanted more of the money they raised to help support the 4-H Shooting Sports and build up a war chest to buy land and build their own shooting range. So, they went solo after years of doing it with the NRA and have excelled by having a much larger net profit at the end of the night.

“And this year we’re holding at our range in the building that we are remodeling from the shell it was when we purchased it so people can have a good look at what we’re doing,” he said.

Wired and walled with heat so banquet attendees will be the first to see how big this is and hear what the MCSSA plans to do with the range over the years. (Spoiler Alert: with the 236 acres they purchased from Plum Creek you’ll hear that archery, pistols, shotguns and long-range shooting are in the works).

Their physical location is 475 Cougar Creek Way which is the Lozeau Exit 55 off of I-90. This winter is when the 4-H Shooting Sports is expected to move to this new location from the Quonset hut on the fairgrounds where they have been practicing for several years.

Jerry Stroot of Superior Meats will be serving prime rib and pork loin with all the trimmings. Beer and wine at a cash bar is available and games galore! The rubber duck; dice-roll; card games and several bucket raffles will get you started as you cruise through the silent auction items. For the sponsors of the evening’s excitement, a special party with live music starts at 4 p.m., and then the doors open to ticket holders at 5 p.m.

At 6 p.m., everyone will slap on the feedbag.

“17 or 18 guns to be given away this year and that includes a couple in the bucket raffle and 2 at the Ladies Only Table,” Heyer said.

His wife, Anndenia, has been doing a bang-up job getting items for women attendees.

“COVID is going to knock ticket sales down to 125 where we’ve had upwards of 175 at the St. Regis Community Center over the years. People will see that we have lots of space but this year we’ve been ham strung with social distancing," Heyer said.

Kevin Hill will handle the live auction with about 20 items to include wildlife art, a heavy-duty gun safe, furniture and a Ruana knife.

“I went to school with Mike and Mark Hangas who have taken over the Ruana Knife business in West Riverside. They’ve been working in that shop since they were 5 or 6 years old with their grampa, Rudy Ruana, when he was running it."

While they last, tickets are $35 per person and can be purchased from Pat Latshaw at 822-0199 or Michelle Parkin, who is the Master of Ceremony, at 822-2148. And if you’d care to become a sponsor for this year’s banquet, it’s no too late.