ALTON, IL – An area youth trapshooting group is looking to shoot down cancer with a donation to Alton Memorial Hospital.
The Brittany Youth Shooting Group from Bunker Hill held the first “Shoot for the Cure” event July 28 at Brittany Shooting Park. More than 120 people participated in the event and more than 60 local businesses donated silent auction items. A total of $700 from the event was presented to AMH President Dave Braasch, AMH leadership and cancer physicians on Sept. 24.
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“We have families among our group that have been impacted by breast cancer and thought it was a great cause to kick off this event,” says Michelle Zimmer, one of the club leaders. “We decided to donate to Alton Memorial to keep the money local and help local families going through treatments and maybe having a financial struggle.”
The donation will be used to set up a discretionary fund to help breast cancer patients with special needs such as gas cards, transportation to treatment and food. The fund will be administered by Malea Watson, the breast health navigator at Alton Memorial Hospital, under the “You've Got a Friend” program.
“It touches my heart that the youth in this group, along with the adults in their lives, found it in their hearts to give so generously,” Watson said. “I work with patients who are newly diagnosed with breast cancer. In addition to their health concerns, they often have basic needs like transportation to their treatments. Thanks to the Brittany Youth Shooting Group, we’ll be able to offer them assistance.”
“It was important to us that our youth understood the effect they are making in the community by helping others,” Zimmer said. “The donation process was an amazing experience for them, teaching them the importance of giving to others and supporting their community.”
Brittany Youth Shooting Group competes at a national level and the 32 team members range in age from 8 to 18. The coaching staff is Pat Simpson, John Yates, T.J. Thornton, Bob Harrelson and Andrew Simpson. The group started in 2009 and has won more than 80 awards.
Jacob Schnefke of the Brittany Youth Shooting Group hands a $700 check to Alton Memorial Hospital President Dave Braasch on Sept. 24 after the group raised the money at its “Shoot For the Cure” event this summer in Bunker Hill.
Members of the Brittany Youth Shooting Club gather with AMH leadership and physicians before presenting the $700 check to AMH for its breast health navigator program.
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