Despite weather, supporters turn out for DU banquet

    The Frenchman Valley Ducks Unlimited Chapter hosted its annual banquet Saturday at the Imperial city gym.  
    Ducks Unlimited is an American non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of wetlands and associated habitats for waterfowl, other wildlife and people.
    About 110 people braved the snowy evening to attend the festivities.
    The evening’s live and silent auctions featured numerous wildlife pictures, paintings and art prints. The scheduled games of Plinko Drop Disk, knock down numbers, card games, bag toss and corn hole were enjoyed by the adults and youths.
    Two Lifetime Hunting Permits, presented to youths up to age 15, were awarded to youths through a raffle.
    One of the permits was won by Joey Hanlon, who had also won a Ruger .22 rifle.  
    Charlie McDaniel won the “dinner gun,” a Ducks Unlimited Shotgun of The Year, an engraved Benelli 20 gauge shotgun.
    The banquet and fundraiser recognized the bronze sponsors, who donated $250 to  Ducks Unlimited.
    They include:
    Adams Bank and Trust, Ag West Commodities, CGC Taxidermy, Colson Agency, Imperial Country Ford, Imperial Family Dental, JM Precision, Jason and Laura Speck, Kelen and Lisa Fortkamp, Lynn and Joyce Fortkamp, Paisley Appraisals, Pinnacle Bank, Nutrien Ag Solutions - Lamar, Southwest Title, Waypoint Bank, Western Select Genetics and Wren’s Well Service
    Jason Speck, banquet coordinator, said the fundraiser did as well as last year’s.