Ducks Unlimited banquet filled with giveaways and dedications
At the annual Ducks Unlimited banquet Saturday in Pilsen the usual door prizes were handed out.
Guns, duck prints, and other collectibles lined the walls of Pilsen Community Center.
Trevor Stevenson of Newton hit the jackpot twice. His name was drawn out of a bucket as the winner of a Benelli Nova 12-gauge shotgun and a Winchester Super X-2 12-gauge air rifle.
Food was served, there was a silent auction, and a live auction included a puppy.
DU District chairman Quinn Trapp of Marion said he was pleased with outcome of the event that was held for the first time in Pilsen.
"It was one of the better turnouts," he said. "Everyone I talked to wanted us to come back."
While there was plenty to be happy about at the banquet, there also were serious moments.
DU dedicated the night to two families who had lost loved ones.
The family of Sonny Walls received a plaque for the memory of Sonny who was a DU supporter.
The second dedication was for former Lincolnville resident Brian Pagenkopf. The 26-year-old was killed in a automobile accident two years ago. He loved hunting and everything that came with it. His brother, Brad and mother, Kaye Risser were on hand to accept a print in his name.
DU also dedicated a new handicap duck blind in Pagenkopf's name. The purpose of the blind is to accommodate handicap hunters who otherwise may not get the chance to hunt.
"We're all real excited about it," Trapp said.
Trapp also said there is a doctor in Newton who refers some patients to DU so they can hunt without any problems. The hunters tell DU how much help they need whether it be just showing them how to use the blind, or actually helping them set it up on the hunt.
"We do anything they want, Trapp said. "We're a family- oriented chapter."
While members of DU hunt ducks, they also spend time preserving the wetlands they inhabit.
"Eighty cents of every dollar we raise goes to acres of wetlands," Trapp said.
With more than 170 people attending the banquet, DU took a large step toward preservation and dedication.
