The second annual Clay Shoot hosted and to benefit the Veterans Council of Indian River County had everything going for it – a sunny Saturday morning with just enough breeze, a great turnout, terrific raffle prizes, delicious breakfast and lunch spreads and, best of all, it raised roughly $45,000 for programs that assist our local veterans.
The event took place recently at Vero Beach Clay Shooting Sports, tucked away down a couple of dirt roads in the quietly beautiful area known for its scrub pine and cattle. Some 15 miles west of the Atlantic shoreline, it is well known by clay shooting enthusiasts from across the state.
Jim Romanek, Veterans Council executive director, said they decided to go ahead with their inaugural shoot last year, despite the pandemic, because attendees “could gather outdoors, remain socially distant, have fun and still support the veterans’ causes. Through the success of that event and the generosity of our community, we continued to serve all veterans in need without interruption.”
This year’s attendance was even better, requiring 17 ranges to accommodate the 31 four-shooter teams, many of whom were current or retired military or were military family members.
Throughout the morning, the pop-pop-pop of shotguns, and shouts of “pull” filled the air. The remains of clay “pigeons” – black or orange discs flung out by traps and blasted to smithereens by shooters from wooden stations – littered the down range field. A few, though, escaped unscathed.
The day began with a safety briefing and a robust buffet breakfast sponsored by Chick-fil-A, and after an intense morning on the range, the teams headed out of the noonday sun to dig into a buffet lunch by Wild Thyme Catering. All morning long, a Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company representative zipped from station to station in a golf cart, ensuring the shooters stayed well hydrated.
A grinning Romanek gave a shout-out to “Nick ‘The Animal’ DeMarco,” for his efforts in rounding up the raffle items. In addition to the regular raffle, a premium limited-participation drawing of just 20 tickets had been sold prior to the event day for a chance to win a PS90 semi-automatic rifle; Carroll Oates won the coveted gun.
The event’s top marksman was Jack Martinelli, who scored 98 out of 100. The first-team consisted of Jack Martinelli, John Martinelli, Rooster Chambers and Kaleb Baker, with a team score of 358.
The mission of the Veterans Council is to support the more than 25,000 veterans and family members living in Indian River County. Through their Upward American Veterans program, veterans in need are provided with emergency basic living financial support – a demand that was exacerbated during the pandemic – such as assisting with food insecurity, utilities and rent.
The Veterans Helping Veterans program assists with basic home improvements for those veterans who are unable financially or physically to complete them. The Veterans Council also offers non-emergency transportation to the VA Hospital in West Palm Beach and to some local medical appointments.
For more information, visit veteranscirc.com.
Photos provided
