GYSSF awards $15K to Walker prep rifle teams

The Georgia Youth Shooting Sports Foundation (GYSSF) has awarded the Ridgeland High School Rifle Team a donation totaling $12,170 and the LaFayette team, $3,079.

“We are excited about receiving this very generous donation into our Midwayusa Foundation endowment account, “said Carl Gentry, Ridgeland’s coach, “and pleased that the GYSSF is making an investment in our community and making a difference in the lives of our young athletes.”

In 2020 GYSSF awarded $50,000 to 46 youth shooting teams throughout Georgia. Central to the mission is the concept of engagement. An engaged team is one that has a Midwayusa

Foundation endowment account and actively participates (they have taken a cash grant or free fundraising product within the past 24 months, or have participated in a shooting event over the past 12 months) and have received a match eligible donation to their team account in the current calendar year.

In 2020, nine Georgia teams, who went above and beyond to keep their teams engaged, such as Ridgeland and Lafayette, received $2 for each $1 donated to their team account. The remaining teams received $1 for each $1 donated to their team account.

Ridgeland’s Rifle Team was the top fundraising team in Georgia for 2020.

“We’re building a legacy,” said Gentry. “We’re changing the future of youth shooting sports here at Ridgeland, one athlete at a time. The outpouring support of our community, and organizations such as GYSSF, has been tremendous. Their generosity will help secure the future of youth shooting sports here at Ridgeland and Lafayette High Schools and across the state of Georgia.”

Community members, businesses, and organizations are asked and encouraged to donate to these Walker County teams online at midwayusafoundation. org/donate and search for Ridgeland and Lafayette High Schools.

The GYSSF’S mission statement is “to provide funding, education, and leadership to foster lifetime interest in: conservation, competition, and hunting skills, through all shooting sports disciplines.”

Contributed Madeline Moore, a freshman with the Ridgeland rifle team, takes aim during a recent competition. The Panthers, along with the Lafayette Ramblers, recently received a combined $15,000 contribution to their programs through the GYSSF.