Mower County chapter offering Oct. 8 event near LeRoy for ‘Paint the Town Pink’
Pheasant hunters from throughout the region will again roam a game preserve near LeRoy in early October as part of a hunt to support research in the fight against breast cancer.
Mower County Habitat & Pheasants Forever is organizing the 2nd annual “Hunt for a Cure” from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 8 at Three Arrows Game Preserve in rural LeRoy. Cost is $125 per hunter, with the preserve putting out four birds per hunter.
“Hunt for a Cure” will be raising awareness and support for The Hormel Institute’s cutting-edge breast cancer research in Austin. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Jamie Surdy, president of Mower County Habitat & Pheasants Forever, is bringing back the fundraiser after its success last year, when it raised $3,000 for Paint the Town Pink.
“Last year was a tremendous success and we were thrilled to be able to raise $3,000 to support this great cause,” Surdy said. “This year we look to build on last year’s success and hope to continue to raise more and more funds each year moving forward. This is a way for local hunters and conservationists to support this cause while getting out and doing something that we love.”
Fundraising through “Hunt for a Cure” will count toward the 7th annual “Paint the Town Pink” initiative in 2017. Raffles and prizes also will be available at the event.
Participants will be assigned a two-hour hunting period. Hunters and others walking in the field must wear blaze orange (both a cap and vest are recommended) and should dress for the weather and bring a 12- or 20-gauge shotgun with a working safety and their own shells. They can bring their own dogs.
A parent or guardian must accompany hunters who are age 12 to 16.
Earlier this year, “Paint the Town Pink” raised more than $270,000 for breast cancer research at The Hormel Institute. Since 2011, “Paint the Town Pink” has raised about $826,000 in support for the Institute’s breast cancer research.
Donations through “Paint the Town Pink” in recent years have been distributed as seed grants to researchers at The Hormel Institute for new projects on breast cancer, helping the investigators explore new ideas and gather preliminary data vital for seeking major research grants. While directed at breast cancer, PTTP-funded research includes projects that also affect other types of cancer.
Three Arrows, owned by Ben Jacobsen, is located at 78590 125th St. near LeRoy. Registration forms are available on the Mower County Habitat & Pheasants Forever website – www.pfmowercountyhabitat.org – or you can call 507-433-9201.
Mower County Habitat & Pheasants Forever is a nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to protecting and enhancing pheasant and other wildlife populations in North America.
