In the first year the Indiana Youth Shooting Sports Foundation was able to distribute significant money to the youth shooting programs in the state, there was more than $37,000 put out for that purpose!

$11,000 was put forth to aid in such things as a Boy Scout BB gun range, new BB guns for the Scouts, support of a potential Olympic athlete, and for ammunition and targets to help various organizations introduce shooting sports to the youth of Indiana.

The main expenditure however was to six High Schools, Prep Schools, Academies, Institutes and Universities. These monies were in the form of matching grants by IYSSF to the schools funds which they themselves raised. Those monies were then re-matched by Midway USA Foundation and, in addition to that, there were most generous "bonuses" paid by Larry and Brenda Potterfield, the owners of Midway USA. All of these funds were in turn invested in each and every school's Scholastic Shooting Trust Fund (endowment fund in the name of the school) http://www.scholasticshootingtrust.org/. That school is then allowed to withdraw a total of 5% of the earnings from that investment each year to use in the furtherance of its shooting program.

Now you probably are asking; what investments presently are earning 5% yearly. The answer is probably none; however, again because of the generosity of Larry and Brenda they make up the difference between what is earned and the 5%. Hopefully I do not have you too confused up to this point!!

Now the bottom line: The schools themselves raised a total of $35,000 and after all the matches and bonuses they have, collectively, more than $430,000 in their SST accounts! That's hard to believe, but it is true. If you don't believe it "Google" Scholastic Shooting Trust, look up the school, by city, and see for yourself.

The schools that have participated so far are: Anderson Preparatory Academy, Bishop Dwenger-Ft Wayne HS, Columbus North HS, Culver Academies, Purdue University-West Lafayette, and Rose-Hulman Institute. Congratulations have to go out to those schools and their leaders who had enough foresight to get into this program.

As of January 1, 2012 some of those matching funds are not quite so generous, although in the future they might be. So if you know of any school or program that might be interested in obtaining a grant for new youth shooting programs please let someone in the IYSSF or one of ISRPA's officers know.

In closing there are some people who need to be recognized: Jim Dunn-IYSSF's President who had the foresight to form the organization years ago, the BOD of IYSSF which includes the ISRPA Executive Committee plus Bill Beard, Dick Leeper-Executive Director of Midway USA Foundation, and most especially Larry and Brenda Potterfield, owners of Midway USA, without whose generosity this whole program would not even be possible.

Thanks to all of you, and hopefully 2012 will be more successful than 2011.