San Angelo Claybird Association Hosts Largest One-Day Event

SAN ANGELO, TX - This Saturday, October 8, the San Angelo Claybird Association will host its Annual San Angelo Sporting Clay Shoot at the range on Duncan Road off Hwy 67. The event is a fundraiser for the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children located in Dallas, Texas. 

Manny Mendoza, Senior Communications Officer for TSRHC said, "This is the second largest clay shoot in the state and the largest one-day event."

Mendoza said the TSRHC is primarily a pediatric orthopedic hospital, which deals with things like spine disorders, club foot, hip disorders, and things involving bones and joints.  

"We also treat related neurological and arthritic conditions, and work in the area of learning disorders, having a Dyslexia center as well," said Mendoza.  

For those unfamiliar with the facility, Mendoza said, "In 1921, a group of Masons approached the only orthopedic surgeon in Dallas, W.D. Carrell, and decided to start the TSRHC to deal with the Polio epidemic. At that time, there was no place that kids could go to get treatment for their orthopedic problems. As polio became less of a problem, being virtually eradicated by the 1950s, the facility started treating other orthopedic conditions. We've been around 95 years and are very highly rated nationally as an orthopedic specialty hospital."

 
Mendoza noted that staff at this non-profit hospital is all about being the best at what they do including being a top ranked research facility.

"We're also involved in medical education, having one of the most robust fellowship programs for doctors who have already been through residency and their internships, [and who] want to specialize in areas such as pediatric orthopedics."

As for how the San Angelo Claybird Association fits into collaborating with the TSRHC, Mendoza said, "Our board is made up of Scottish Rite Masons from all over the state. Two of our board members, Graham Childress and Dan Davidson, and a few of their friends in West Texas, started this clay shoot in 1998, both to raise money for the hospital and to increase awareness of our services in that area. In our history, we have treated a thousand kids in West Texas, and we're defining that by Tom Green County and the southern surrounding counties. Since this clay shoot started in 1998, we've gotten more than 300 new patients from West Texas and raised more than $800,000." 

For those who will participate, check in will start at 7 a.m. There will be two rotations; shooters will go out at 8 a.m., and another group will go out at noon. Lunch will take place at 11 a.m. (complimentary for participants-$15 for non-participants), and live entertainment and an awards program will follow. There will also be a raffle, and 41 shotguns will be given away. There will be drawings, commemorative belt buckles will be auctioned off, and much more.

Mendoza concluded, "We're not a huge hospital, but we do a lot of amazing things, and those we've treated have been very happy with their care and results."  

Additionally, he noted that several patient families who have taken advantage of their services will be there, along with hospital officials.

For more information, go to www.scottishritehospital.org.