On Saturday, Feb. 10th, we held our 36th Annual Game Dinner & Dance at the clubhouse and it was a great success! This is the first year that I have been running this event that we have SOLD OUT prior to the day of the event, with over 210 people in attendance!

This year’s theme was Red Neck which didn’t take a whole lot of dressing up for some but special thanks to many of the attendees who “got their redneck on”. There were prizes given out to the best costume for both male and female but really everyone deserved an honourable mention.

This year we hired a local catering service who previously did the food for our Open House in 2017. Helm’s Mobile Kitchen put out an amazing spread and really spiced it up with some new recipes, the Deer/Bear Jambalaya and Goat Curry being two that everyone was raving about. The Salmon Wellington was another exceptional dish and back by popular demand we also had a roast pig cooked up by our own life Member and President Mark Porter. The crew at Helm’s Kitchen is already planning their menu for next year… I can’t wait!

A great added bonus to this year’s get together was an amazing jump rope show put on by the Abbotsford Skipping Sensations. Both my girls have grown up in this club and not only are they passionate about shooting and hunting but they are also some of Canada’s elite skippers! Four girls did a great show and even got our President Mark into the double dutch ropes! Thanks to all who also donated to their fundraiser for competing at the World of Jump Rope Championships in Florida this July.

Special thanks to Shalane & Chris Talkes for organizing the decorations, Larry and Lynda Juliasson  for doing the bar service, Hardy Staub for organizing the parking, Ron and Penny Meyers for DJ (special thanks to Penny for helping with the 50/50 draw), Scott and Rhea Philippe for running the raffle, Derek and Sarah Lefebvre for running the front door, Lorne Sherbina, Terry Riffin, Ron Meyers, Mark Porter, Bob Lefebvre, Ian Baird, Rob Engh, Dan Ashton & Audrey Oxner, Shalane Talkes, Claude Murdoch, Scott Philippe and many others for approaching local businesses for door prizes (we have over 70 door prizes donated this year!), Ian Baird for Emceeing the evening and finally Ian Baird and Mark Porter for taking on the big task of organizing the event.

We also presented our Big Game Awards for 2017 with the following list of winners:
  • First Big Game Animal: Jessica Maclowich (Bear) and Wyatt Meyers (Mule Deer)
  • Moose: Ryan Feenstra
  • Elk: Bill Kuehn
  • Mule Deer: Ian Baird
  • Blacktail Deer: Darrel Hamilton
  • Whitetail Deer: Darrel Hamilton
  • Black Bear: Wayne Meyers
  • Caribou: Ian Baird (Mountain) and Dawne Deeley (Quebec-Labrador)
  • Cougar: Chris Kitt
  • Bowhunter of the Year: Darrell Hamilton

Congratulations to all the winners and for everyone who had a successful hunting season in 2017, without the meat donations the dinner wouldn’t be able to be put on, after all it is a “game” dinner.

Meat donations were provided by:
  • Al Cloke
  • Dawne Deeley
  • The Baird Family
  • John Dicknoether
  • Dragan Zoric
  • Scott Philippe
  • Mark Porter
  • Darrell Hamilton
  • Sumas Meats
  • Chris Kitt
  • Ron Meyers
Lastly, and probably most importantly, I would like to thank all our local businesses who sponsored/donated door prizes for this event.

The final door prize of the night was a Ruger 0.22 cal rifle donated by Wanstalls which was drawn for Pete Heide, but after calling the ticket number it was actually his wonderful wife who won! She said he now has to teach me how to shoot!

Here’s looking forward to next year’s event and the much anticipated upcoming hunting season, have fun and stay safe.

Sincerely,
Ian Baird
Big Game Chairman