VERO BEACH — The 2013 Vero Beach Chapter Ducks Unlimited Banquet, celebrating the charity’s 75th anniversary, is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., April 15, at the Quail Valley River Club in Vero Beach, at 2345 Highway A1A.
Reception and beverages will be served until 7 p.m. when banquet guests will be seated in the Club’s Waterfront Dining Room to enjoy the live auction and dinner. The banquet will feature unique and savory game entrees such as smoked bacon roast of venison, whole roasted pig, and southern-style fried quail served with a variety of sides and desserts.
Ducks Unlimited is the world’s largest nonprofit organization focused on waterfowl and wetlands conservation. While Ducks Unlimited has accomplished a great deal since its founding in 1937, the rapid draining of our Nation’s wetlands demand that the organization continue its conservation efforts.
Each year, the United States loses some 59,000 acres of wetland habitat. Since its inception, Ducks Unlimited has helped enhance and restore over 12.4 million habitat acres in North America alone. Ducks Unlimited’s conservation successes can be witnessed here locally. In a joint effort with the North American Wetlands Conservation Council and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Ducks Unlimited helped restore over 6,270 wetland acres in the T. M. Goodwin Waterfowl Management Area and the Broadmoor Marsh Unit. This project is located in the northwestern part of Indian River County only minutes from Vero Beach.
Ducks Unlimited is effective because it is efficient. In its most recent annual report, the charity could boast that over 81 percent of its revenue was spent directly on waterfowl conservation and education.
In 2013, the Vero Beach Chapter hopes to continue this legacy at its annual banquet. Attendees will enjoy raffles, live and silent auctions including such items as the Ducks Unlimited shotgun, rifle, and pistol of the year, exotic outdoorsman excursions to Costa Rica and Argentina, together with other interesting and collectable items unique to Ducks Unlimited.
Seating is limited and early registration is recommended. Tickets can be purchased by contacting the Chapter President Derek Arden by phone at (772) 231-7777 or emailing him at cderekarden@yahoo.com.
Tickets and organization information is also available on the web at http://FL.ducks.org.