The Exchange Club of the Treasure Coast took aim at child abuse last Saturday morning during an inaugural Sporting Clay Shoot at the Indian River County Shooting Range to help raise funds for local nonprofit programs focused on child abuse prevention.

“The years that we don’t do air shows we do other things,” explained Kathy Kragh, fundraising co-chair with Jon Moses and Sam LaFevers. “This is going to be our first time, so it’s going to be fun and interesting.”

The group contributes hundreds of volunteer hours to the Vero Beach Air Show, featuring the Blue Angels, where proceeds also benefit the Exchange Clubs of Indian River and Vero Beach, as well as the Veterans Council of IRC. In addition to hosting golf tournaments to raise money and awareness of child abuse prevention, they participate in local service projects such as beach cleanups, Tea Time with senior citizens at assisted living facilities, and they help with hurricane relief efforts.

“I believe in the cause. I like the idea of raising money and giving it to people that need it most. We do a lot for the community,” said Kragh.

On Saturday, shotgunners showed off their tracking, sight picture, hand-eye coordination and trigger control skills by taking shots at flying targets during the sporting clay shoot – a competition that is often referred to as golf with a shotgun.

Wielding said shotguns, individuals moved through 15 shooting stations and fired 100 rounds at sporting clays on the 318-acre shooting range. The targets flew in a variety of trajectories, angles, speeds, elevations and distances to mimic the unpredictable nature of winged birds during a live hunt.

After taking their best shots, participants gathered for lunch and awards, many hoping to be the lucky winner of the Cooler of Cheer and 50/50 drawing.

Active for nearly 30 years, the Exchange Club of the Treasure Coast promotes Americanism, community service, youth programs and the prevention of child abuse through the promotion of the nonprofit’s core values: family, community and country. They meet at noon for lunch at C. J. Cannon’s Restaurant on the first and third Thursdays of the month.

For more information, visit tcexchangeclub.org.