August is National Shooting Sports Month, and the MidwayUSA Foundation is getting it started right with a massive and generous series of cash grants to youth competitive shooting teams nationwide...and when we say "massive," we mean seven figures. No fewer than 442 junior shooting teams across the country will be receiving $1,511,517 in cash grants from the retailing giant. That's because--as you can see--MidwayUSA Foundation's goal is to change the future of youth shooting sports by funding these teams.
Grants like the ones the MidwayUSA Foundation announced today are critical to keep the American tradition of shooting sports alive for future generations. That's because although teaching and mentoring new shooters is free (and incredibly rewarding), the structure you need to do so costs money. Without the cash to cover range fees, equipment, ammunition and funds to travel to matches, even the best junior shooting teams may be stuck warming the bench and not their barrels.
Youth shooting teams applying for MidwayUSA Foundation cash grants in June reported having nearly $10 million in team expenses. The expenses that teams spent the most dollars on included ammunition [$1.9 million], travel [$1.6 million], entry fees [$1.4 million], and targets [$1.1 million]. Anyone with a passion for the outdoors can invest in the future of the industry by donating to a team endowment of their choice. Every donation grows that team’s annual cash grant, which helps with these expenses.
In addition to cash grants, the MidwayUSA Foundation offers participating teams and organizations product grants to grow their endowment. These are free products, ranging from firearms to optics that shooting programs can use to conduct a fundraiser however they choose. Additionally, all proceeds from those fundraisers, as well as general donations, are matched through the MidwayUSA Foundation Matching Program, funded by Larry and Brenda Potterfield, owners of MidwayUSA. Qualifying teams are eligible to apply for a cash grant once per year in either June or December.
MidwayUSA Foundation Executive Director, G. Scott Reynolds talked about the accomplishment. “I am thrilled to announce the successful payout of over $1.5 million in cash grants to youth shooting teams in our June grant cycle. I am also happy to highlight that this was the first cycle completed through our new online grant system. This new system greatly reduces application and processing time while decreasing opportunities for errors and eliminating paper and postage. It’s a win for both our constituents and staff!”
For more information about how the MidwayUSA Foundation is changing the future of youth shooting sports, please visit midwayusafoundation.org.
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