On Saturday, March 23, the Casey White Foundation held the 11th Annual Smoking Clays Shoot at the Eddy County Shooting Range, a fundraiser benefitting Boy Scout Troop 228, the Artesia Special Olympics team, and the Mitty Runyan College Scholarship Program for graduating seniors of Artesia High School going into either vocational or agricultural fields.
The shoot attracted 109 participants, not including nearly 15 volunteers and the members of Boy Scout Troop 228 who also played a role in the event. Overall, the foundation raised more than $30,000 with this fundraiser, thanks to contributions from numerous local companies and benefactors. Attendants ate a barbecue lunch and won prizes for shooting and from raffles and other activities. The jovial crowd mingled freely, united and excited for the day to culminate in fund distribution benefitting the greater Artesia community.
Out of these funds, $7,000 was directed to a first-time scholarship program, awarded to seven Artesia High School graduating seniors, each of whom will receive $500 per semester in the coming school year. Scholarship recipients include Ryan Thomas, Omar Salais, Braden Fuentes, Raegan Rodriguez, Addysen Folmar, Bailey Virden, and Bryce Bain.
$12,000 or more will be directed towards Boy Scout Troop 228, who will use most of the funds to attend a summer camp at Camp Geronimo in Payson, Ariz.
According to Scoutmaster Jeremy Kern, “Last year the Foundation helped 25 youth from Artesia and Southeast New Mexico attend the National Jamboree.” This trip included a train ride on the Amtrack Commanche, two days in Washington, D.C., which included “half a day at the Arlington National Cemetery, all the monuments, and the Smithsonian Natural History Museum… tours through Congress, outside of the Supreme Court and the Pentagon,” followed by two weeks at Summit Behtel Scout Reserve where “the 15,000 scouts in attendance assisted in creating thousands of flood buckets for disaster relief.”
Boy Scout Troop 228 currently has 15 registered members and is open to any youth aged 10-18. Interested persons can contact Troop 228 by reaching out to Kern at 575-513-8307 or via email at scouttroop228artesia@gmail.com.
The remaining funds will assist the Artesia Special Olympics team with travel expenses, allowing members to attend state sporting events.
Casey White, former Fire Chief of Sun Country Volunteer Fire Department, organized the Casey White Foundation in 2015 with the goal of “encouraging youth in extracurricular activities and helping to make that possible with funding”, reported Foundation treasurer Brenda Cosper. Those who now operate the Foundation do so with a determination to honor White’s legacy and continue to make his vision a reality.
By that metric, this year’s shoot was a monumental success. “It means everything to have community support. Without that, there would be no Casey White Foundation”, said Cosper. Cosper and Kern agreed the generosity of the community led to the highlight of the day: awarding the scholarship to all seven students who applied, rather than being forced to choose recipients due to lack of funds.
Those interested in involvement with the Casey White Foundation can learn more by emailing caseywhitefoundation@gmail.com or by reaching out to Kern at the number listed above, Cosper at 575-626-1227, or Tabatha Moreau at 575-308-3892.
