The massive crowd at the 11th annual USA Boilermakers Kansas City Sporting Clays Shoot prepares to brave the rain.
THE UNION SPORTSMEN’S Alliance won big at the 11th annual USA Boilermakers Kansas City Sporting Clays Shoot September 21. The event raised a record-breaking $215,000-plus to support USA’s mission to unite the union community through conservation to preserve North America’s outdoor heritage. And International staff was proud to donate $15,235 to safeguard the continent’s shared wildlife legacy.
“When you put out a call for the Boilermakers, they step up,” said International President, Newton B. Jones. “Conservation and a healthy, sustainable environment are essential to our planet’s survival. As a charter member of USA and a strong supporter of their mission, we’re proud that the event brought so many Boilermakers, members of many other unions and organizations, and families together.”
Over 200 participants gathered at the Powder Creek Shooting Park in Lenexa, Kansas, to fire a total of 100 rounds apiece. The shoot was sponsored by 102 groups from 50 labor unions and labor-affiliated organizations (including 30 IBB locals) and contractors and vendors. Raffle prizes included a shotgun, a rifle and an ORCA cooler.
Competition was tough, with Callender Printing edging out other challengers to take the top team award with a score of 436 and Gary Walstrom of Heartland Electric winning the top veteran and senior honors. A team from Boilermakers Local 363 (East St. Louis, Illinois) captured second place in the A class. Team members included BM-ST Bill Mulconnery, retired BM-ST Rick Elder and members Hunter Hartung, Kevin Stewart and Sam Stassi.
This year the Boilermakers International, Bank of Labor and the Greater Kansas City Building & Construction Trades Council sponsored Piper High School Trap Team members as guest shooters.
“Organized labor’s support for the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance was evidenced by the great turnout at the USA’s annual Kansas City shoot,” said International Secretary-Treasurer William T. Creeden. “We’re determined to surpass our record-breaking fundraising amount year over year for an organization that does so much for America’s communities and families, but we couldn’t break records without the help of all of our supporters.”
USA’s CEO and Executive Director Scott Vance added, “We want to thank the Boilermakers and all of their members for their dedicated support of our cause. We are grateful for their long-standing support as one of our charter unions, and their annual Kansas City shoot is one of our longest-running events and continues to break fundraising records.”
The Boilermakers union is a charter member of the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance. Free Bronze-level membership is available to all members. For more information, visit unionsportsmen.org/join/.
Veterans enjoy USA shoots with the ‘unionverse’
THE UNION SPORTSMEN’S Alliance offers $2,000 veteran sponsorship packages to individuals, unions and contractors to send military veterans to USA shooting events. Started in 2019 in partnership with the Union Veterans Council, veteran sponsorships underwrite 10 veteran shooters for the entire day, which includes guns and ammo, food and giveaways. To date, almost 100 veterans have joined the union brotherhood at USA shoots across the United States via a total of 19 veteran-level sponsorships.
“The aftereffects of war, whether it’s being wounded, suffering PTSD or the lost sense of belonging to a brotherhood, can be devastating,” said 10-year Army veteran and USA’s Events Coordinator Eric Bakken. “USA veteran shoot sponsorships give those who have served our country a chance to reclaim that sense of belonging to a crew, meet people who value comradery and have a great day with the ‘unionverse’ fellowship.”
The USA Boilermakers Kansas City Sporting Clays Shoot offered four veteran sponsorships and hosted 35 veterans from Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. The veterans were recognized for their service and received a standing ovation.
