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Competition helps raise money for helmet inserts
Two-day contest informs and fundraises with marksmanship
By: Clarence Plank
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.
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Media
Credit: Clarence
Plank
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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
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