June Kicks Off with Fun Weekend Events in San Angelo

Summer is in full swing, and this weekend San Angelo has quite a few events going on to kick things off. In addition to the grand opening of The Bosque on the Concho, 330 S. Irving St., this evening, here are the main events for families to enjoy.

Meals for the Elderly Clay Shoot

Meals for the Elderly in San Angelo is preparing to host its 11th annual Clay Shoot tournament tomorrow at 12026 US Highway 67 S.

Becca Edens, with Meals for the Elderly, mentioned there are close to 200 shooters registered for the tournament with more expected to sign up before Saturday. The goal is to raise $60,000, which is equivalent to around 171,500 meals. These meals would be distributed to the 738 seniors signed up to receive meals here in San Angelo on a weekly schedule.

The tournaments pre-registration begins at 7 a.m. and will be followed by breakfast before the first round beginning at 8 a.m. There will be a second round starting at 11 a.m. and will be followed by a barbeque lunch starting at 11:30 a.m.

The cost for registration is $165, and that includes all meals mentioned above.

Additionally, a red and green course will be available for both rounds of shooting with 100 target rotations for each. Following the event is a live auction of 30 items, including art work, knives, and guns to name a few. There will also be a raffle opportunity.

As motivation for being a registered shooter, every 1 out of 10 participants have a chance to choose a $500 cash reward or a $750 gift card to Field and Streams Sporting Goods.  

Edens said all the money raised for Meals for the Elderly comes from grants, fundraising, and donations. Edens also said, of the three fundraisers hosted during the year, the clay shoot has raised the most for the organization in the last several years.   

“We are feeding more seniors than ever, so the stakes are really high,” she added. 

Edens noted that Meals for the Elderly staff are very excited with all the sponsors who have joined to support the clay shoot this year. A new title sponsor, CalTech, has been a main contributor during past events, and is now a title sponsor for this year.

The clay shoot is part of Meal for the Elderly's devotion to the mission of helping homebound seniors.

Chase Bruton, board member for Meals for the Elderly, said having the chance to make personal contact with the seniors is the most rewarding part of the process. Bruton explained how he was delivering gifts to clients one Christmas, and after witnessing their reactions, he understood how appreciative these individuals are having interaction with people.

Thus, to help these same individuals through a bit of fun, shooters can register for the clay shoot event at http://www.mealsfortheelderly.org/articles/view/clay-shoot-4dbef84c-1920-47fc-9477-4127ac100b1e. 

Fishing Derby

The San Angelo Fishing Derby is back. Families are encouraged to come out to Celebration Bridge on the Concho River tomorrow morning to participate in the family fishing festivities.

Registration for the event will begin at 7:00 a.m. on Celebration Bridge, which is adjacent to the RiverStage and the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts along the Concho River. The competition will begin at 7:30 a.m. and continue until 10:00 a.m. Prizes will be awarded to the top anglers by age division:

• 7 and younger
• 8-12
• 13-18

Free donuts and juice will be handed out to participants while supplies last.

The Fishing Derby is being organized by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Field and Streams and the San Angelo Recreations Department. All of the departments partnered together and made the event possible.

Today, the TPWD will be restocking the Concho River with 600 channel catfish for the fishing event. The catfish are coming from Possum Kingdom Fish Hatchery.

Once a year, the TPWD holds one free day for fishing, which means individuals are not required to have a fishing license for tomorrow's Fishing Derby.

Safe Kids San Angelo will also be at the event from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. to give away safety items. The safety items include:

• Life jackets
• Bicycle helmets
• Water bottles
• Solar bracelets
• And more…

Diana Faulkner, Interim Recreation Manager for the San Angelo Recreations Department said, “I think this is a good event for people to come out to and spend time with their families. It is a great chance to spend time with the family and kids.”

Baptist Retirement Community Run in the Sun

Tomorrow morning, the Baptist Retirement Community is sponsoring the San Angelo Road Lizards 44th Annual Run in the Sun. The event includes a RRCA Regional 8k Championship event, which is approximately 5 miles, plus a 1-mile fun run/walk, beginning at 7:30 a.m. The race will begin and end at the corner of Concho Avenue and South Oakes Street in historic downtown San Angelo.

"BRC will be hosting the runner's packet pick-up at the Baptist Retirement Community (902 N. Main) Chapel from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, June 3rd," said the event's Facebook page. "In addition, registered participants will have access to a spaghetti dinner in the BRC Chapel, as well, on Friday, June 3, from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m."

There will be awards for the top three male and female finishers in each age division. T-shirts are guaranteed for the first 100 registrants, or for everyone who entered by May 20. 

Santa Rita History Day at the Depot

For over 10 years, the Railway Museum of San Angelo, 703 S. Chadbourne St., has hosted Santa Rita History Day, which showcases life in San Angelo during the oil boom of the 1920s. Tomorrow, visitors will have the opportunity to tour photo exhibits and artifacts that show the expansion of the city of San Angelo “from a frontier town to a bustling oil boom town,” said David Wood, President of the Railway Museum.

The event is held to commemorate the first time the people of San Angelo rode a special train to see Santa Rita #1’s blowout in June of 1923. Cindy Jordan, local song writer and author, will be present at the event talking about Santa Rita’s history. Five model trains will also be on display, with its newest model being debuted this weekend. Visitors will have the opportunity to purchase raffle tickets for the drawing of the new train that will occur later this year.

The event will go on from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Cost for attending is $5 for ages 12 and up, $3 for ages 4-11, and free for children under 4. For more information, please call (325) 657-4880.

Note: Zoey Hanrahan, Stephanie Lindgren and Sonia Ramirez contributed to this story.