At the 2019 SCIF Veterans Breakfast, members and supporters of our military can sponsor a purple heart recipient to go on a black bear hunt. The SCIF Veterans Committee is auctioning a sponsorship for a combat veteran to go on this special designated hunt. The sponsor (winning bidder of the auction) will pay to send Jeff Wellington, a 34-year veteran and Army helicopter pilot, on this hunt.
Wellington entered the Army in July of 1985. He has been deployed more than 42 times on combat missions as a Special Operations Solider. These assignments include Operation Prime Chance (Persian Gulf), Operation Just Cause (Panama), Persian Gulf (Iraq), Enduring Freedom (Afghan), Iraqi Freedom and Inherent Resolve. Wellington received several Air Medals with valor and was awarded the Purple Heart for injuries sustained in combat operations while deployed as part of Operation Gothic Serpent (Somalia, Black Hawk Down).
The sponsor’s (winning bidder’s) proceeds from this auction item will be earmarked to pay for some of Wellington’s miscellaneous hunting expenses such as round trip travel to the hunt, meat processing and other incidental expenses. The remaining monies will go directly to the Restricted Veteran’s account dedicated strictly to Veteran’s Committee activities and support. The winning bidder (sponsor) can accompany Wellington as a guest on his black bear hunt. Both Jeff and sponsor can go on a 6-day bear hunt that includes lodging and meals. The sponsor is responsible for his or her own hunting and travel expenses separately.
The black bear hunt was donated by Veteran Committee member Bob Duhadaway and his wife Cathy to support this auction item. This is a great opportunity for members to attend the SCIF Veterans breakfast and show their support for our veterans.
The SCIF Veterans Breakfast & Auction takes place Friday, January 11, 2019, 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. at the North Fork Pavilion (Day Auction room) in the Reno Sparks Convention Center, which is the same location as the SCI Convention. Trijicon sponsors the breakfast. All members are welcome, and veterans eat free.
Other auction and sweepstakes items include a commemorative Trijicon ACOG celebrating its 1,000,000 production donated by Trijicon Serial No. 1,000,053; custom made knife honoring the military donated by Bill and Vicki Swan; AR-15 Rifle and 1911 pistol donated by Craig Rogaczewski/CnR Guns; wolf pelt donated by Gus Gillespie; custom .416 Remington with Leupold scope and 100 rounds of custom ammunition donated by Dave Lundin; shooting bench donated by Wayne Clark and K2 Summit 50-quart cooler donated by Ron Bartels. To purchase breakfast tickets, please go to www.ShowSCI.org and click “Register Now,” or call our toll-free registration line at (888) 746-9724, M-F, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. MST.