Kevin Tate | V.P. of Media Productions
A shot at a bull elk in Kentucky is what Todd Jones is counting on to help give thousands of kids a shot at a better life.
One of the most coveted tags in all of the outdoors, Kentucky’s quota elk hunt offers the public a chance to chase wild elk in the Bluegrass State. The annual lottery is open to the public, but chances of a non-resident drawing a rifle bull tag run in the neighborhood of one in 600. A handful of tags are allotted by the state’s wildlife commissioner to charitable organizations to be raffled or auctioned for a good cause, though. As the officer in the Masons of Kentucky directly responsible for fundraising efforts, Jones was able to secure one such tag for this fall’s season and his group is raffling it off at $10 per chance.
In Kentucky, the Masons employ a wide variety of programs to help the state’s underprivileged children, whose numbers are not few, and all of the proceeds from the raffle will go directly toward making a difference. There are no administrative fees.
“It’s a chance to try to make a difference in the lives of kids who are going down a bad road through no fault of their own,” Jones said. “I picked the elk tag because I grew up hunting and fishing and I believe it kept me out of some stuff..”
Many of the plans Jones has in mind involve helping children find the same path that kept him safe at their age.
“We grew up poor, we worked hard and never had anything given to us,” Jones said. “We still work hard, but when you see the depth of the poverty so many kids are growing up in, it’s obvious anything we can do to help won’t just be appreciated, it’ll make a difference that goes with them the rest of their lives.”
To enter the raffle, go online to http://elkhuntkentucky.org and follow the instructions.
