One year after Beau Arndt’s death, participants and supporters of the Hunt for Hunger have raised the scholarship in his name to a level that will provide funds for students for many years to come.
“Today is the one-year anniversary of Beau Arndt’s death,” Hunt organizer Chuck Gardner said Monday night. “As of today at 4 o’clock, we were able to get the endowment.”
Through its weekend activities, and from donations accepted for the scholarship, the hunters managed to raise another $3,500 for the Beau Arndt “Love for the Outdoors” Scholarship Fund at Emporia State University.
Students who graduated from Northern Heights High School, or any high school in Lyon County, are eligible for the scholarship if they are biology or earth science majors with grade-point averages between 2.5 and 3.5.
The scholarship was established last year by Hunt 4 Hunger organizers.
Arndt, the son of Christine and Bob Arndt, was hidden in a blind while hunting geese with friends northeast of Emporia, when Theron Thomas Kent of Topeka fired a single rifle shot into the field. The shot hit and killed Arndt. He was 18 and a student at Emporia State University.
Arndt and the scholarship in his name were prominent in the minds of those who took part in the weekend’s activities whether they knew him or not, Gardner said.
“For us hunters, it’s important,” he said. “Beau was a young man. His life was taken away in a very tragic way. For us, as hunters, it’s how most of us grew up.”
Sixteen teams took part in the hunt, which extended across the state. Hunters who shot deer could take the carcasses to any approved meat locker, where it was to be processed and given to the Farmers & Hunters Helping Feed the Hungry organization for distribution.
Meat from the waterfowl shot and dressed was donated to the Salvation Army, and canned goods collected as part of the project were donated to the Emporia Rescue Mission.
“We took a full truckload today,” Gardner said of the donations of non-perishable foods. “I’m guessing we donated this year … between 2,500 and 3,000 pounds of processed meat for this community.”
The hunt brought in 20 deer, approximately 170 geese, 130 ducks, 57 pheasants and 18 quail. Some of the birds had been shot earlier in the season and were brought in, frozen, and donated to the Hunt.
The weekend ended Sunday night at the Masonic Lodge with a dinner, awards, and prize-drawings. About 120 people attended, Gardner said.
“Almost all of the (prize) money won by the winners, the winners donated every single dollar back” to the scholarship fund, he said. “What it boils down to, is we’ve not forgotten.”
“It’s not about the money,” Gardner said. “It feels good. It cannot be taken away. For us hunters, it’s important” to help needy people and the students who need a financial boost from the scholarship.
“It’s just the biggest blessing you can accomplish with this whole thing,” he said.
rox_alan (anonymous) says...
I commend this group and am proud that they wanted to do something to honor Beau Ardnt. It was a tragic thing that happened but if something good has came out of this unfortunate tragedy then I think Beau would be very proud and is watching over this group of people.
December 16, 2008 at 4:38 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )