Wichita, KS, July 22, 2020.  Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors was awarded $10,000.00 in a grant from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.  These funds will be used to support the new Shooting Sports Outreach Program to engage participants in high school shooting sports in hunting activities.

Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors has been engaged in recruiting mentors for at-risk youth since it’s beginnings in 2002. RMEF was one of the first to step up and help launch the outdoor mentoring efforts of Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors in 2002. In the fall of 2019, Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors launched their Shooting Sports Outreach Program, encouraging high school and college trap shooting athletes to engage in hunting. “We were able to organize 89 different hunts, engaging over 220 youth shooting athletes from 44 different Kansas schools,” stated Mike Christensen, President of Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors. “With the support of organizations like RMEF, organizations that are leading the R3 effort nationwide, we are looking forward to piloting this same program in Iowa this coming fall.”

Brittany Waldman, Director of Field Operations commented, “between the Scholastic Clay Target Program and the National High School Clay Target League, there are more than 40,000 high school student-athletes participating in trap shooting nationwide. The Shooting Sports Outreach Program aims to provide hunting and fishing opportunities to as many of these youth as possible. Almost all of these youths have taken hunter safety, and have learned one of the basic skills needed to hunt. Our goal is to increase their interest and motivation to hunt by providing as many different hunting opportunities as we possibly can.”

“Ensuring the future of our hunting heritage is core to our mission and vital to generating funding for ongoing and future conservation work,” said Blake Henning, RMEF chief conservation officer. “We are proud to support Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors and salute them for their dedication to engaging youth in hunting and shooting sports.”

“Making a difference in the recruitment, retention and reactivation of hunters requires partnership among all of the stakeholders if we’re going to move the needle,” said Christensen. “We’re proud to have the support of RMEF as we build this effort on a bigger scale.”

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Founded 36 years ago, fueled by hunters and a membership of nearly 235,000 strong, RMEF has conserved more than 7.6 million acres for elk and other wildlife. RMEF also works to open and improve public access, fund and advocate for science-based resource management, and ensure the future of America’s hunting heritage. Discover why “Hunting Is Conservation™” at www.rmef.org, www.elknetwork.com or 800-CALL ELK.

To learn more about Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors, Inc. please visit their website at http://www.outdoormentors.org

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