Devin Dalin
Staff Writer
The Ketchikan Ducks Unlimited chapter will be holding its annual banquet at the Sunny Point Conference Center in the Landing Hotel today at 5:30 p.m.
“The banquet is always a good time with all of your friends,” said Brison Ralph, a 17 year old lifelong member of the Ketchikan Ducks Unlimited chapter and member of the Ketchikan Junior Shotgun league.” It’s fun to meet people that share the same interest in the outdoors as you.”
To enter the event you will need a ticket that can be bought online at http://ducks.org/alaska and are $ 60 per person this covers the meal and event.
The Ketchikan chapter has an average of 40-60 people in attendance every year raising anywhere from $5,000-$10,000 for this one event.
The rest of the profit goes to the Ducks Unlimited Organization, the largest and longest lasting wetland conservation organisation in the world.
“The fact that the money goes into the future conservation of our wetlands and the future generations of hunters,“ said Caden Thomas, an eighteen year old member of the Ketchikan chapter and member of KJSL.” The fact that I can physically see it moving forward for generations of hunters to come makes this event so special to me”
The banquet consists of drawings, a silent auction and a live auction and dinner which is the main event of the banquet.
The auction and drawing both consist of a variety of paintings, decoys for field use, decorative use, knives, guns and other hunting related items.
The dinner is prime rib with potatoes, salads, and other food items.
“The food has been great every year I have attended,”said Ralph.” The food is always something to look forward to because you get to share the experience with your friends and new people.”
At the banquet the local youth shotgun league is presented with a donation from the National Rifle Association.
“The National Rifle Association helps out the Ketchikan Junior shotgun League”he said.”Every year they give us a big donation so that we can travel and pay for the shooting fees.”
The NRA makes a huge impact on the young men and women that participate on the shooting team and the banquet is a great way to do it publicly as the NRA is both a sponsor of the shooting team and the Ducks Unlimited organisation.
The Ketchikan Junior Shotgun League members help cater the event as a way of saying thank you to Ducks Unlimited and the NRA.
