The Barton Foundation will host its Seventh Annual Clay Shoot from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 4 at Camp Aldrich, 884 NE 110 Ave.
The event has become the largest sporting clay shoot in the state, and the money raised is used for mini-grants for Barton faculty members to purchase items for their classrooms that will enhance the student learning experience, said Darnell Holopirek, Barton’s director for institutional advancement.
Those who register by April 1 will receive a free long-sleeve shirt, but registrations will be taken up to the day of the shoot. Shooters can register at bartonccfoundation.org/sporting-clay-shoot.html. They can participate as individuals or as three-person teams in a 100-target Lewis Class style tournament.
The entry fee of $60 includes lunch prepared by Great Western Dining, a round of 100 sporting clays, prizes for the overall winners and flight winners and chance drawings for gifts. The fee does not include shells, but those will be available for purchase. Non-shooters can purchase a $10 ticket for lunch.  Shooters are allowed to bring their ATVs and golf carts.
Holopirek said the clay shoot is the perfect event for the area and that competition is only one of the benefits to attending.
“Kansas is such a big hunting state and a great state for outdoor activity,” she said. “It’s just such a fun event. A lot of our shooters come to be competitive and yes, they want to win, but at the same time they are there to enjoy being outdoors and the camaraderie between the shooters.”
The vendor for this year’s shoot will be Dennis Linden of Linden Target Sports. He will supply the equipment, run the operations and design the course to complement Camp Aldrich’s landscape.
Previous clay BCC clay shoots were at LaSada Sporting Clays in Russell. The shoot is moving to the college-owned Camp Aldrich, located two miles north of K-156 between Claflin and the Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area, to boost awareness of the camp and its offerings such as bow hunting for deer. Camp Aldrich sits on 290 acres of rolling sand hills and wilderness areas. It boasts at least 70 species of wild flowers and grasses, 57 different types of birds, deer, turkey and various other animals, some of which are on the endangered species list.
“We’re pretty excited about this opportunity,” Holopirek said. “I think it’s going to help the college market Camp Aldrich and give our shooters a brand new venue, which also gives us an opportunity to change up the stations every year, which will help keep the course fresh.”
For more information, contact Holopirek at holopirekd@bartonccc.edu or by calling 620-792-9367.