Metro Chapter of SCI held its 15th Annual Conservation Dinner and Auction at Nationals Park, home to the major league baseball team of the same name.
More than two hundred members, guests and fans of the Chapter came out in force to support its efforts with outdoor education and wildlife conservation in this mid-Atlantic region. Also in attendance were more than 25 SCI Board Members, including SCI President-Elect, Paul Babaz, who was the event’s special guest speaker.
Trevor Santos, Manager of Government Relations – State Affairs for the respected National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) serves as the Chapter’s President.  “Our chapter chooses to focus on education as we are located in an area where many hunting and conservation related policy decisions are being made,” said Santos.  “In the past, the Washington Metro Chapter has sponsored the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation August Recess Shoot-Out, a clay shooting event attended by Congressional staffers, in an effort to educate those staffers on the valuable role hunters and hunting play in wildlife conservation. I am pleased to announce that our chapter will once again sponsor this great event.”
Jeff Kimbell, President of Jeffrey J. Kimbell & Associates, a consulting firm in D.C., serves as the Chapter’s First Vice President. He and Mr. Santos described plans for the year ahead: “The Washington Metro Chapter is proud to support our soldiers and veterans by contributing to Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc., a non-profit organization that gets wounded service members into the outdoors fly fishing.”
Additionally, the Chapter will once again sponsor a youth shooting camp at Prince George’s Trap and Skeet Center in Glenn Dale, Maryland and will plan to participate in the Benelli USA Invitational this year as a sponsor. Last year, the inaugural Benelli USA Invitational Shoot in Maryland raised $26,000 for Freedom Hunters, another organization focused on getting service members back in the outdoors.  “These are just a few ways we are able to give back to the brave men and women who serve our great country,” said Santos.
With a Board of Directors of ten men and women, the Washington Metro Chapter had 35 members prior to its event on May 4.
Following the event at Nationals Park, Chapter membership ranks grew by more than 80 people as the Chapter elected to include memberships with the banquet tickets for those who were new to SCI and expressed enthusiasm to get more involved and join.
The Washington Metro Chapter is doing a great job and all of us in SCI should be proud of their efforts and impressive accomplishments.–Phil DeLone, SCI Chief Executive Officer
