Wichita, KS, January 6, 2022. Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors announced today that Walton’s Inc. has stepped up to sponsor the Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors Shooting Sports Outreach Program. Launched in Kansas in 2019, the Shooting Sports Outreach Program engages high school and college student-athletes involved in the shooting sports with hunting and fishing opportunities.
“With support from great companies like Walton’s, we are able to expand our efforts to bridge the gap between target shooting and hunting,” stated Mike Christensen, President of Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors, Inc. “In just 2 years, we’ve been able to grow from one full-time coordinators in Kansas to 2 full-time coordinators in Kansas and one full-time coordinator in Iowa.”
“We are excited to continue our support of Pass It On -Outdoor Mentors,” stated Brett Walton, President of Walton’s Inc. "Their goal of getting more kids outdoors and having an additional mentor in their life is something we are very passionate about. We appreciate all the work done by their entire staff to accomplish this goal.”
“In 2019, Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors kicked off the Shooting Sports Outreach Program with 89 hunts involving over 220 youth from 44 different high schools across Kansas. During the 2020 hunting seasons, we added one part-time coordinator and boosted the number of hunts to 206, engaging over 600 youth,” said Brittany French, Director of Field Operations for Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors. “For 2021, we expect to field 300 hunts in Kansas and with our new staff on the ground in Iowa another 60 hunts there.”
Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors is working with student athletes from the USA Clay Target League and the Scholastic Clay Target Program. “Many of these youth have taken hunter safety, they have been taught hands-on safe gun handling and have learned one of the basic skills needed to hunt,” Brittany said. “Our goal is to increase their interest and motivation to hunt by providing as many different hunting opportunities as we possibly can.”
Brittany further indicated that, “Our goals with this program are to 1) recruit new hunters by giving those who don’t currently hunt opportunities to pursue upland game, waterfowl, turkey and deer; 2) retain current hunters by giving those youth trap shooters and their parents who are currently hunters the opportunity to engage in more hunting activities; and 3) to reactivate parents and coaches who want to participate in these hunting activities. This model can be applied to numerous different cohorts in hopes to inspire others to have a passion for hunting and fishing.”
To accomplish this, Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors partners with local chapters of NGO’s, the state fish and wildlife agency and private landowners to provide access and volunteers and mentors who assist with the events.
Walton’s Inc.
Walton's Inc was originally founded in 1986 by Don Walton. He designed Walton’s to be a service-oriented company, offering meat processing knowledge and providing high-quality products from hundreds of manufacturers.
Walton’s remains a family business. Currently Don’s son Brett Walton fills the roll of President/CEO. Austin Walton, VP of Operations and Dylan Walton, VP of Sales now represent the third generation of ownership in the company. The Walton Family is still focused on serving the needs of the independent meat processor and the home meat processor.
Walton’s Inc is a proud supporter of the meat processing industry and is a long-time member of more than 10 state associations as well as AAMP (American Association of Meat Processors).
Walton's is committed to growing and expanding our inventory to meet the changing needs of our customers. With approximately 5200 items ready for same day shipment, our central location in Wichita, Kansas helps to ensure your products get to you as quickly and efficiently as possible. We continue to ship over 97% of stock supplies and seasonings the same day.
About Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors
Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors is a Wichita, Kansas-based national organization dedicated to providing children with mentors who will share with them the experiences of traditional outdoor activities. The heart of the group's mission is to give children opportunities to connect with nature that they more than likely won't have without a mentor showing them the way. For more information about Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors, please visit http://www.outdoormentors.org.
