Outdoor Life

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USA’s Inaugural Provost Umphrey Texas Shoot and Get Youth Outdoors Day

The Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA) introduced a new sporting clays event to their robust roster of nationwide shoots with the launch of the Provost Umphrey Texas State Sporting Clays Shoot in April. Hosted by Provost Umphrey Law Firm, the inaugural event was held at One in One Hundred Gun Club in Lumberton, TX.

There was a great turnout for a first-year event—65 attendees, including two youth and ten military service members, showed up for a beautiful day of shooting. Roofers and Waterproofers were represented by a team of Local 123, Dallas, TX, members, who won third place in C Class. In a fun twist, this was the first USA shoot that had a special flurry station where teams shot a flurry of targets to get bonus targets to add to their final score…everyone loved it!

In conjunction with the shoot, the following day nearly 50 youth experienced the excitement of the shooting sports during USA’s Get Youth Outdoors Day, and Roofers Director of Market Development Gig Ritenour and his son Wes were there for the action.

“The event was a great opportunity to get kids and their families outside after Covid-19 has had things locked down for a year and a half, and it was a chance for them to gain a better understanding of safe handling of firearms,” Ritenour said.

The first Get Youth Outdoors Day was held in 2012 in conjunction with the 2nd Annual Roofers International Twin Cities Sporting Clays Shoot in Clear Lake, MN. The success of that event in introducing youth and their families to the outdoor sports has led to similar events across the country.

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1 Nearly 50 area youth attend USA’s Get Youth Outdoors Day in Lumberton, TX. 2 Gig Ritenour and USA Conservation Programs Manager Sam Phipps prepare to distribute goodie bags to participating youth. 3 Provost Umphrey Managing Partner Joe Fisher demonstrates proper stance when shooting clays at Get Youth Outdoors Day. 4 Wesley Ritenour, Gig Ritenour, Trent Cothren and Steven Crim made up the Roofers Local 123 team.

“I travel a lot with my job, so it was a great father-son bonding opportunity for Wes and I to assist local youth,” Ritenour added. “Wes has joined me at the annual Get Youth Outdoors Day in Minnesota for many years, and I enjoy watching him interact with younger kids and pass on the skills and knowledge he has learned about the outdoors.”

USA staff along with volunteers from Provost Umphrey, Roofers International, IBEW Local 479, and the Jefferson County 4H instructed participants in firearms safety and assisted with shooting and archery events.

“The Get Youth Outdoors Day was a great event and the best day of my year,” said Joe Fisher, managing partner of Provost Umphrey Law Firm. “Getting to see those kids learn a new outdoor skill was a fun experience, and we can’t wait to do this event again.”

All supplies were provided at no charge, and each child received a goody bag containing free gifts. Youths and their families also enjoyed a free lunch, and participants were entered in drawings for a variety of outdoor gear provided by Plano Synergy. The most coveted prizes of the event included a lifetime hunting license, and guided hog and whitetail hunts on a private ranch including travel on a private jet, donated by Fisher.

The event was part of a series of free, community-based youth outreach activities organized under Work Boots on the Ground, a program that brings together union members who volunteer for conservation projects that improve public access to the outdoors, conserve wildlife habitat, restore America’s parks, and mentor youth in the outdoors. ■