Southern Alberta Outdoorsmen to celebrate 50 years

Annual banquet and dance April 7 in Milk River

After decades of promoting their love of the outdoors through conservation, hunting and fishing, the Southern Alberta Outdoorsmen are gearing up to celebrate their 50th anniversary this year with its annual banquet and dance.

On April 7 at the Milk River Civic Centre, there will be a night of socializing with festivities taking place in celebration of all the members, their dedication to the outdoors and their friendships with one another.

“We are all about conservation, learning and being able to continue to responsibly hunt while maintaining wildlife,” says Scott Tollestrup, president of Southern Alberta Outdoorsmen.

“With our annual awards banquet coming up, and this one being a big one in that it’s celebrating our 50th anniversary, we’re excited to celebrate what we’ve been able to do so far.”

The Southern Alberta Outdoorsmen, which is a group that was formed in 1970, and originally called the Southern Alberta Rod and Gun Association throughout the years has focused on conservation, replenishing wildlife, and responsible hunting. Working with the Fish and Game Association, the group has dedicated a lot of time over the years to specific projects that overall benefit the environment, and have in response been rewarded with many recognitions during their time as a group.

However, another focus that the Southern Alberta Outdoorsmen have had over the years is hosting events and activities to get their members together such as camping, hunting events and fishing days.

At the 50th anniversary-themed annual banquet and dance, members are invited to come together and enjoy a night of fun for all.

From a silent auction and a raffle, to a banquet fit for royalty and cocktails galore, the April 7 event begins at 4:30 p.m. and continues through the evening.

“This banquet will be a little bigger than the others since it’s celebrating such a milestone, there will be a band and entertainment this year that we don’t usually have, with dancing and live music,” says Tollestrup about this year’s event.

“We usually have a benchmark of around 70-80 people in attendance, most of which are members, but this year since it is a larger event, we’re hoping to see a lot more people coming out.”

Now seeing around 125 current members from across southern Alberta, the group may have changed in size over the years, but their goal has always remained the same — continuing the work the Fish and Game Association started of reintroducing, preserving and protecting the various wildlife in the province.