Duck hunters unite for healthcare in NE Arkansas

Duck hunters will raise funds for healthcare Dec. 4-5 when the Northeast Arkansas Baptist Charitable Foundation holds its 12th annual Duck Classic in Jonesboro.

The Duck Classic is an innovative concept that combines a traditional fundraising banquet and auction with a duck hunting tournament. Kim Provost, director of events for the NEA Baptist Charitable Foundation, said proceeds help fund a support program for patients who are battling catastrophic illnesses, a medicine assistance program, a wellness center for healthy children, and a support program for families grieving from the death of a baby.

Mark Carpenter of Jonesboro is executive director for the Baptist Health Services Group. He’s been involved with the event since its inception. He said it raised $450,000 last year, compared to $18,000 the first year.

“It spawned from a desire to do something different than a golf tournament,” Carpenter said. “Northeast Arkansas has a deep resource and a culture of duck hunting, and that spawned this idea of creating this tournament.”

The first year’s net of $18,000 was modest, Carpenter said, but good fortune and committed partners made it a runaway success.

“We had some naysayers early on that said the flame would extinguish, but $18,000 marching to half a million is phenomenal,” Carpenter said. “It’s just a happening thing in Jonesboro at the first of December. It’s become an event.”

Here’s how it works. The dinner and auction will be Dec. 4 at Craighead County Fairgrounds. It’s a family-oriented event catered by Strawberry’s BBQ of Holcomb, Mo. Barton Power Sports has donated a Polaris UTV for the auction, which also will include firearms, artwork and other hunting related items.

As many as 30 teams will compete Dec. 5 in a duck hunting tournament held on 30 different properties donated by local landowners. The team that scores the most points wins.

The scoring system is unique. One might assume that drake mallards would be most valuable, followed by pintails. Not necessarily.

Wise hunters shoot mixed bags containing different species because point values are awarded by dice rolls at check-in. Depending on the roll, teal or shoveler might be worth the most points.

“When we started this, the greenhead mallard had the highest value,” Carpenter said. “We got story after story where guides said mallards would come in later and not to shoot other ducks. Sometimes the mallards never came and people were unhappy. We want everybody to have a good shoot.”

Not all duck holes are equal, either. Some are better mallard holes than others. The dice roll makes it fair.

“Instead of so-and-so winning because they got more mallards and pintails, we added a game feature to it,” Carpenter said. “It’s been well-received. We’ve had great attendance at checkin, even when it was snowing and sleeting.”

Carpenter said that Dennis Nole, owner of DNW Outdoors, has been an important contributor to the event. Carpenter said he’s helped secure high-profile sponsors like Under Armour, Drake, Avery and others.

The Grand Classic Raffle includes a used, late-model vehicle, Carpenter said. Nole customizes it into what Carpenter described as a spectacular ride.

“The Grand Classic raffle generates $60,000 from the sale of tickets,” Carpenter said. “We’ve got community support from local businesses, banks and agri-business. They all come together, and we’ve really made progress from the fact that landowners are willing to donate their property for a one-day hunt in thirty-plus locations.”

Carpenter said the event is a true community effort that is successful because of the volunteers, sponsors and landowners who participate.

“It’s been a pleasure to see how duck hunting can give back to a community the way it has,” Carpenter said. “We’re fortunate it has grown by the good ol’ boys that provide access to hunting locations for the greater cause of helping the indigent and needy of northeast Arkansas.”

It costs $1,500 for a team of four to enter the tournament. The tournament field is already complete this year, Carpenter said, but tickets are available for the dinner and auction. They cost $45 and are available at the door or by calling (870) 936-8492.