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Before You Go:VietNam

 

Competition helps raise money for helmet inserts

Two-day contest informs and fundraises with marksmanship

By: Clarence Plank

Posted: 4/2/07  MTSU Sidelines

A two-day competition to raise money for Operation Helmet is a way for the MTSU community and local organizations to help support troops in Iraq.
 
Deidra Stamper, employee of On Target indoor shootrange, demostrates what a participate in the marksmanship competition will be doing.
Media Credit: Clarence Plank

Deidra Stamper, employee of On Target indoor shooting range, demonstrates what a participant in the marksmanship competition will be doing.


The competition on April 13 is for MTSU fraternities only, while April 14 will be open to the public.

"There is a [one] hundred dollar entry fee for a two-man team, and I was going to pay for the ammunition myself," said Tim Chrysler, a senior liberal arts major and organizer of the event. "On Target [Indoor Shooting Range] was going to donate the weapons, the lanes, and the safety equipment and all we had to do was proper safety briefs and that was it."

The money Chrysler raises is going to Operation Helmet in order to purchase inserts for the marines in Swiss Company stationed in Norfolk, Conn. They do recon and night patrol duty.

"The goal is to raise $1,600, and that is 16 helmets we could have put on somebody," Chrysler said. "They are [one] hundred dollars a piece."

Since the competition is being held for two days, there is a possibility they can reach the goal set for the marines in Swiss Company.

"We are going to do it on two separate days," said Deidra Stamper, staff member of On Target Indoor Shooting Range.

"[Friday's competition] is for Greek life fraternities only; it's a rifle competition," Stamper said. "Each fraternity is going to submit two people, so it is going to be a team shoot."

After a process of elimination, each team will compete for a trophy. At the end of the competition, a winner will be named from the teams.

"They are not going to release the process of elimination or the style of shooting until the day of the shoot," Stamper said. "On Target is donating the facilities and the staff to help with it. On Saturday it is open to the public [to] shoot, and they are going to be individually done. We're probably going to have three places in it. First, second and third for the day, and it will be pistols only."

On Target Indoor Shooting Range, located at 915 N. Thompson Ln. in Murfreesboro, offers 12 lanes with two rifle lanes with a distance of 25 yards. It also offers handgun carry permit classes and personal instruction classes.

Both armed and unarmed security training meets Tennessee certification requirements. A monthly membership to the shooting range is $34.95 and an annual membership costs $249.95 with supplied hearing and eye protection and no time limits.

Chrysler has been waiting to hear from H.H Greg because they want to sponsor the event and offer a prize for the competitions.

"Right now, we are working with H.H Gregg, offered to sponsor our event, but what I'm waiting for them right now is the level of participation," Chrysler said. "They said they can participate any where from a $300 gift certificate to a large screen HDTV."

There is a possibility of restaurants offering gift certificates, but that is still in the works, Chrysler said.

For the open competition, Chrysler has been talking to other groups that might be interested in competing.

"We are going to go to the local police union and fire fighters," Chrysler said. "The chief of police in Murfreesboro-his son is a marine and is currently deployed. We're going to the EFW group and to a group called the Marine Core League, which are retired marines that live in the area, and they are willing to participate."

The price of participation is $100 for Greeks this Friday and the open shoot is $30. Participants will need to bring their own ammunition for the event, but On Target is able to rent needed equiptment.

"[One] hundred percent of the proceeds are going toward operation helmet. None of it is going toward administrative cost. It is all tax deducible," Chrysler said.

At press time, only one fraternity had responded to Chrysler's e-mail about attending the event. Sigma Alpha Epsilon had something else planned for that day and could not compete in the competition.


© Copyright 2007 The Sidelines

Send mail to ophelm@operation-helmet.org with questions or comments about Operation Helmet.
Copyright © 2007 Operation Helmet
Last modified: 05/14/08