Foundation hosts annual Outdoor Hall of Fame Banquet

LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation will hold its annual Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame Banquet on Sept. 5 at the Statehouse Convention Center. The event will be hosted by Phyllis Speer.

The reception and silent auction will begin at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 p.m. Auction items will include fishing trips, duck hunts, SeaArk Express and War Eagle boats and trailers, a Badboy mower, fine jewelry from Sissy’s Log Cabin and a youth permit for the Arkansas elk hunt. Tickets for the event are $100, and tables of 10 are available for $1,000 each.

“This event supports the important program initiatives the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation is a part of throughout the year, all of which positively impact outdoor enthusiasts across the state,” said Chuck Dicus, president of the foundation.

At the event, four individuals will be added to the list of the previous 79 Outdoor Hall of Fame inductees: C.B. Thompson Jr., who founded Fort Thompson Sporting Goods; All-American competitive trap shooters Dr. Doyne and Nancy Williams; and the late Sgt. Darrell Monty Carmikle, who died in the line of duty as a wildlife officer with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

The foundation will present the Legacy Award, which recognizes an individual whose life has demonstrated a commitment to the outdoors and conservation, as well as a commitment to passing outdoor traditions on to the next generation. The winner of this year’s award is former Congressman John Paul Hammerschmidt, who is recognized for his work to designate the Buffalo River as the country’s first national river.

“This is a night we come together to celebrate the passion for the outdoors we share and to pay tribute to those who have worked so hard to conserve the natural treasures in Arkansas,” Dicus said.

To purchase tickets or for more information, contact the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation office at (501) 223-6468 or email Lori. lynch@agff.org.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation, created in 1982, is an independently operated foundation supporting the goals of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Proceeds from the banquet and silent auction will help finance the foundation’s continuing mission to support youth education initiatives that focus on the outdoors, including archery, youth shooting-sports programs, fishing programs and education centers that serve young Arkansans.