The STA (Southern Traditional Archery Association--sounds big, but it's actually a fairly small club) had their charity shoot for Catch-a-Dream this past weekend. About 140 shooters (if you shot two classes you were counted as two shooters, if you shot an extra fun round you counted as another shooter, etc.) total. Last count, we raised almost $6,000 dollars for Catch-a-Dream--and in the poorest state in the union!

It was amazing--it was obvious that most of the folks there didn't have a lot of money. A lot of older bows, a lot of older vehicles--but they dug deep.

If you aren't familiar with Catch-a-Dream, look it up when you get time please. Short description, they took up the slack where Make-a-Wish dropped the ball under anti-gun and anti-hunting pressure. They make it possible for terminally ill kids who want to go on big hunting or fishing trip to go--every expense is paid for them and whoever goes with them from the time they leave their home until they return, including having their trophies mounted. It goes a lot farther than it seems--it's amazing therapy for the child, and the child's family, not to mention the memories--they send photos, a big framed collage of pics taken on the trip, etc. etc. etc. They go to great lengths to take care of these kids--one who was in really bad shape got his deer mount back 36 hours after he killed it. This child got to admire his trophy less than three weeks before he passed on.

One of the Catch-a-Dream kids was at the tournament--his lukemia was in remission. He was given a selfbow and some arrows--you never saw a kid that was so happy--just smiling all the time--and shooting the string off that bow!

The stories are heart-breakers--like the kid with spinal cancer who's dad up and left when his son was diagnosed. This kid was all smiles on his hunt, except when he broke down and cried thanking the folks that were with him--he called them his three "new dads". He lived about 6 months after his dream hunt, where he got a huge whitetail. One little girl wanted to go fishing, either for "a big catfish, or a mermaid!"--she was six years old, and too sick to go--she never recovered enough to go on her trip, but her parents said that the thoughts of that trip kept her spirits up.

I know we think times are tough, gas is too high, etc. etc. etc.--but I encourage all of you to take a look at www.catchadream.org . This is a very worthwhile charity. I know I have a lot to do before next year's fund raiser.

Chad