Sports
County youths take part in JAKES
By Peggy Blackburn
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Fort Toulouse/Jackson was alive with the sounds of turkey calls, shotgun fire, hammering and laughter Saturday as more than 160 youth and about 135 adults descended on the site for the sixth annual JAKES (Jun-iors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Skills) event hosted by the Elmore County Chap-ter of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF).
“I think they’re all having a really good time,” said Phil Savage of the local NWTF chapter. “The turnout is great, we have a couple of new events and the weather is good so far.”
Boys and girls from six to 17 joined the action at the park. Participants made stops at a variety of stations that included building birdhouses, archery, casting, goose and duck calling, slingshot use, turkey calling, hatchet throw-ing, muzzle shooting, shotgun sporting clays, air rifle, chainsaw sculpture, making walking sticks and safety. The Wetumpka Fire Department and the AirEvac helicopter also manned exhibits.
Hands-on supervision and instruction for all events were provided by NWTF volunteers and other experienced teachers.
State JAKES Chairman Jim Profozich of Huntsville attended for the second straight year.
“This event just gets better and better,” he said. “I got my niece to come over from Auburn this time.”
The majority of attendees were from Elmore County, but people from neighboring areas took advantage of the opportunity also.
Maxanne Loftis of Pike Road brought her son Ben and a group of his friends to the event, turning it into a unique ninth birthday party.
“I called ahead and asked if it was OK,” she said. “The kids have just loved it.”
Tyler Savage, who just completed his freshman year at Auburn University, was among the volunteers who made sure the event ran smoothly.
“I came to these every year when I was younger,” he said. “I always enjoyed it a lot. It’s really gotten much bigger since then.”
Grayson Gray’s favorite part of the event was an exhibit of various animal furs.
“I like these, they’re really soft,” he said, as he stroked the displayed items.
The JAKES program was free of charge, and included an event T-shirt, lunch and a one-year JAKES membership.
“We host a banquet every February, and part of the proceeds from that are used to sponsor JAKES,” said Chet Matthews, event chairman. “I think today’s been another huge success.”
The local chapter also raffled a new Benelli Super Black Eagle II 12-gauge shotgun valued at $1,600 as a fundraiser for the event.
