Benefit reminds people to keep talking about mental health
BROKEN BOW - Approximately 80 shooters
participated in the Print Zutavern Sporting Clay Shoot and BBQ on Sunday, Sept. 12 at the One Box Shooting Complex west of Broken Bow.
The benefit, held in memory of Print Zutavern, raises money to work toward mental health awareness and the importance of resources in rural Nebraska.
Zutavern was Bi-Polar. He died Feb. 24, 2020 at age 28.
Print’s wife, Kate, said shooting was important to her husband.
“He was very involved in clay shooting,” she said. “He shot at Fort Hays State (in Kansas) and Linderwood (in Missouri).” Print was an NRA collegiate All-American, a four-time National Sporting Clay’s Association All -American and won two collegiate team national championships.
Kate added, “To me, it’s great to see so many people come out and remember him and honor him.”
Print was diagnosed at age 21
“He was aware of it. He struggled with it,” Kate said.
Medication is part of managing the condition, however, Kate pointed out there are many factors that contribute to the difficulty of managing it, including sleep and stress. “It’s a struggle,” she said.
Further complicating the situation is lack of resources in rural Nebraska. Help isn’t always readily available. That is one of the reasons for the event, to raise awareness.
Kate encourages those who struggle with mental health issues to keep asking for help. “Keep reaching out. Know you are not alone,” she said. “Others are struggling, too.”
John Zutavern, Print’s father, said the event went well. “It was really nice. We had a lot of walk-in participants. The weather was great,” he said.
Winners for the event include: First in FiveStand - Wade Williams; First in Sporting Clays, First Flight - Samuel Duncan; First in Sporting
Clays, Second Flight - Chet Kirkpatrick; and First in Sporting Clays, Third Flight - Randy Allen.
Prizes awarded included a firearm-shaped glass decanter and glass set, a Savage 410 Over/Under, a Savage 12-gauge 20 inch; and a Taurus 9mm pistol.
Proceeds from the benefit go to the Print Zutavern Mental Health Initiative Fund at the Custer County Foundation. Plans are to use the money to raise awareness of mental health issues and advocate for the importance of support and treatment in rural areas. The COVID-19 pandemic has hampered some of those plans, however, Kate remains unwavering in getting the word out about mental health issues.
“Mental health affects a lot of people,” she said. “Keep talking about it.”