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shOOting pages - Elk Run Fundraiser
Dear Friend,
How do you make people aware of the need for conservation of animal habitat to the point they feel compelled to make a donation to help save it? In my case, I thought I would combine my previous experience with the Leukemia Society Team In Training fundraising program and my disdain for running, to sign up for the New York Marathon. Dina and I were both lucky enough to get in. The only hitch is that I plan to run the whole 26.2 miles in an Elk Costume, alongside 38,000 other runners and a couple million spectators, to raise money and awareness for elk and other animal habitat. My fund raising goal is $5,000 and I hope that you will help me reach it.
Included with this letter is a copy of Bugle Magazine, the publication of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF), for your enjoyment. Please note you do not need to be a hunter or sportsman to have a vested interest in conserving our natural resources for the benefit of the animals as well as public use. I have provided some background on RMEF, my affiliation this past year, why I personally look forward to hunting season (a reason that may surprise you) and why I hope you consider a donation.
A brief primer is inserted below on what RMEF is all about and an interesting data point on how efficient RMEF is when it comes to fundraising compared to other well known organizations. This means that nearly all of your donation is spent on conservation. There are approximately 150,000 members in chapters across the US that have raised over $149MM to date and helped conserve nearly 4,000,000 acres of habitat. The Pass It On campaign is now in its 5th and final year, with the goal of raising $250MM and impacting an additional 2,000,000 acres of habitat by the end of 2005.
RMEF Mission
Ensure the future of elk, other wildlife and their habitat. The organization's top priority has never changed-offsetting habitat loss, the principal threat to elk country.
RMEF Core Philosophy
RMEF is a wildlife conservation organization with an emphasis on elk. It defines conservation as a state of harmony between people, land and wildlife, and acknowledges that good conservation often is a fluid and elusive balance. It advocates sustainable, ethical use of resources and seeks common ground among stakeholders. RMEF celebrates outdoor and rural lifestyles and values within a North American culture growing ever more distant from the land.
My Take
One of the most important things to note about RMEF, as well as other hunter-conservation organizations, is that protecting habitat for the animals and enjoyment of people (including non-hunters) is usually one of the, if not THE top priorities. Why should you care about this? If you like the thought of having access to public lands for any activity, whether that is hiking, mountain biking, hunting, snowshoeing, fishing, snowmobiling, skiing, motorcycling, camping etc. and plan on sharing those activities with your family, conservation (wise use) not preservation (no use), is critical. Did you know that of the 11 Western states Washington ranks second in population size and 11th in accessible public land? We also are fortunate to have the 6th largest elk population nationally.
When compared to the more noble local fundraising causes, this request may seem trivial and easy to dismiss. Dina and I have found over the last several years, there are seemingly endless worthy causes that could use our support, however small our contribution may be, either in terms of time and energy, or money. We have found that the more we give, personally or financially, the more it fulfills us. Some of the organizations we support through volunteering, participation or donation are: Leukemia Lymphoma Society (Team in Training), CieSam Auction, Marsha Rivkin Ovarian Cancer, Ducks Unlimited, Climb For Clean Air, Ruffed Grouse Society, MS Challenge Walk, Pacific Northwest Ballet, KSARC, United Way, Friends of the Children, Northwest Harvest, Pacific Science Center, Detlef Schrempf Foundation and of course, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Each one enriches us in different ways and provides an opportunity to learn about something we would never have researched on our own. We are always grateful that someone cared enough about us to ask us to participate.
I also want you to know that 100% of your contribution will go to preserving habitat and that all expenses related to this fund raising activity, including travel for the marathon, are being funded by the Grimsteads.
I've included a personal essay as a backgrounder on why I eagerly look forward to elk camp each year. Without viable elk habitat or accessible public land, I would not have the opportunity to participate in this family ritual. It is for this reason alone that I am a RMEF volunteer, and why I've chosen to pursue this fund raising activity in addition to the work I do for the local RMEF Sammamish Valley Chapter.
My short odyssey of hunting
I must admit, I came to hunting very late in life. Although I had hunted some ducks and pheasants a handful of times as a teenager, I really had no quantifiable hunting experience. In fact, it is safe to say that by the time of my first 'big game hunt' in my mid-30's I had not harvested enough total game of any kind to feed me for a week.
In that first elk camp in 1997, no one in our camp even fired a shot, yet the memories were forever cemented. Walking up the road with my father in the dark and fog as the morning light started to rise; I felt an adrenaline rush like no other as we witnessed a herd of elk racing in front of us. The funny part of the story was that we heard a shot and went to see what happened. As it turns out, a guy was relieving himself behind a tree when he heard the crashing coming towards him and managed to grab his gun just in time. This was my first day of elk hunting and it couldn't have been more exciting or memorable. The real treat however, would come later, sitting around the campfires the next several nights, where I had an opportunity to connect with my father in an entirely new way. While everyone who knows my father generally holds the opinion that he is the life of the party and a fantastic storyteller, I was surprised to find that my dad had not bothered to share some of his most fantastic adventures with us until that elk camp. The irony is that I have never considered him a modest man, always quick to end a day of skiing with the half-joking quote (even today at age 62), "did you see anyone on the mountain as good a skier as your old man?"
In that first elk camp, or possibly the second or third, the stories of life and death that had never been shared with me growing up, seemed to flow naturally. It was amazing to discover my father, while he has always been my hero, is in fact a true to life hero in every sense of the word. Before this trip, all I knew was that he flew helicopters (big CH-46's) in Vietnam and made it home safely, in spite of being shot down on several occasions. To put this in proper perspective, thirty years before Ridley Scott filmed Black Hawk Down, my father was shot down in Vietnam along with 2 other helicopters and spent the night with bullets whizzing through the cockpit. Fascinating stuff! He was part of a squadron called the Purple Foxes, which I would later learn was one of the most decorated flight squadrons in all of Vietnam.
I'm not sure why it took so long to find this little nugget of information. Perhaps the reason he didn't glorify his tour of duty was because the sentiment towards the Vietnam War, was and still is today, less than positive. If you care to read some additional information about some of my favorite stories of my father, many of which I only heard about during elk camp these past few years, I will be posting a collection at www.shootingpages.com/elkrun.
Beyond the obvious questions regarding how this information remained a secret to me for so many years and why it seemed so natural to discover in this setting, my more pressing concern is what other information might I have missed and how many good years of hunting does my dad have left in him to fill in the blanks? Hunting camp seems to be the one magical place where these conversations take place and it is so eagerly anticipated that I look forward to it nearly all year round. In all honesty, we play more cribbage, tell more stories and eat more food, than we hunt. This is probably why my father jokingly refers to our hunting trips as little more than armed camping. Our hunting success ratio is well below the 10-12% state average but I think we all measure success in terms of quality time spent together.
Beyond the time spent together with my dad, brother and the same guys that are there year in and year out, there is something wonderful about connecting with nature in this setting. If you have never walked through the woods under the cover of night, watched the sun come up and forests come alive, it would be impossible for me to put it into words. I would however, be happy to share it with you anytime.
In Conclusion
When I look at the next 5 months and the daunting task that lies in front of me, it's not the 26.2 miles of running wearing an elk costume (possibly suffering heat exhaustion or dehydration), staying injury free, or losing the 40-60 pounds that I think will be the most difficult. Based on past experiences, I realize that reaching out and asking friends to care enough to send a donation, is truly the hardest part. I hope the thought of preserving habitat for the elk, other animals and future generations of families to enjoy is compelling. If that doesn't do it for you, perhaps the image of me running 26.2 miles in an elk costume through the mean streets of New York this November may well be reason enough. Please enclose your donation, whether it is $250, $125, $70 or even $35 in the self-addressed, stamped envelope that is included in this mailing.
I will keep you posted on my journey. It is sure to be interesting, hopefully entertaining, and most certainly fulfilling. Thank you in advance for your support, whether in spirit or contribution.
Pass It On!
Yours in elk country,
Darren Grimstead
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