By Bruce Urben, WWA President
This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s September Volunteer Newsletter edition.
Some of you may have been able to get out for the early Teal season, or even the early goose hunt, over the past few weeks. I forgot how great it was just to watch the sunrise while you are in the field. I even think the coffee tastes a little bit better in the marsh.
I am sure many of your thoughts are running toward organizing your gear for the openers at the end of this month. Yes, a lot to do!
The grand prize winner of the UTV raffle, Jeff Erickson
We have done a lot over the last few months at WWA as well, with you, our volunteers’ help. Our UTV raffle was a huge success. Over 3000 raffle tickets were sold, netting over $16,000, funds we can use to put more wetland habitat on the ground in Wisconsin. Congratulations to Jeff Erickson (Appleton) the lucky winner of the UTV and trailer. I know Jeff can’t wait to get some mud on those tires.
You have heard me say in the past, “we cannot run WWA without you, our volunteers”, hundred of times. But it is absolutely true. Volunteers are a special breed of people. That is probably why National Volunteer Day was established back in 1974 – as a way to recognize and celebrate the efforts of our volunteers. Saturday, September 21st is National Volunteer Day and let me be the first to say “thank you” to all of our WWA volunteers for all of the hard work you do. I know people choose to volunteer for a variety of reasons. For some, it offers the chance to give something back to a community or to make a difference to the people and the environment around them. For others, it provides an opportunity to develop new skills or build on existing experience and knowledge. Whatever your reasons, Thank You, for making Wisconsin Waterfowl Association a thriving part of Wisconsin’s conservation heritage. It might sound trite, but it is a huge accomplishment when you hear of other Conservation Organizations in neighboring states closing their doors after decades of service and existence.
Thank you and have a special day on September 21st. You earned it!