Large Crowd Attends SCDU Dinner, Family Wins Hughes Memorial Gun

September 29, 2015 - 280 people attended the 38th Annual Shelby County Ducks Unlimited (SCDU) Dinner at the Windham Civic Center on Saturday, September 12 and the grandmother of Jacob Hughes won the 4th Annual Jacob Hughes gun.

The main event of the dinner was a live auction which once again opened with the first item auctioned in memory of Jacob Hughes. It was an emotional moment when auctioneer Kevin McDonald announced Sandra Hughes, the grandmother of Jacob Hughes, had won the memorial gun, a 12ga Browning Silver Automatic with special embellishing, with a bid of $5,100. Upon winning the cherished auction item, she wept momentarily with emotions of joy and sadness as the audience applauded.

This is the 4th year the SCDU has auctioned off a gun in memory of Hughes. Money raised from the memorial gun goes to a scholarship account setup for students seeking a degree in wildlife and fisheries science, the degree Hughes was pursuing at Texas A&M at the time of his death in 2011.

Another winning bidder honored the Hughes family by presenting the father, Lance Hughes, with a knife in a display case won during the silent auction.

The winners of the Dream Gun giveaway, which was a pre fundraiser for the dinner, was Jason Locke, Ed Copelin, and David Lawrence. The winner of the key item, an Academy DU Yildiz 12ga, was Brady Scarber. The pick of the litter was won by Jeff Dean who selected a Howa rifle.

Auction items which raised the most for conservation efforts were the SCDU Greenwing Youth Package ($2,100), 2015 gun of the year Browning A5 engraving of the 2015 artist-of-the-year Richard Clifton Afternoon Pintails ($3,400), 2015 DU handgun of the year Kimber Stainless II ($2,300), 2016 3 night/2 day fishing adventure on the Island of Nantucket ($2,400), 2014 DU President's Elite Fausti Cherry select 12ga over/under ($2,800), DU Henry Silverado .22 cal with engraving of 2015 artist of the year Richard Clifton Afternoon Pintails ($2,900), and 2014 gun of the year Benelli Montrefeltro shotgun ($2,800).

 Yazoo Thomas, Senior Regional Director - East Texas, recognized the chapter's conservation fundraising efforts praising their achievements, "This is the 80th Chapter out of 3,500 chapters in Ducks Unlimited. Shelby County, number 80 out of 3,500 chapters, is that worth a round of applause? Now give yourself a round of applause because we are going back again next year!" The SCDU received Ducks Unlimited, Inc - President's Elite Chapter Award, Texas Ducks Unlimited Top 20 Chapter, and Ducks Unlimited Diamond Event award.

Each year a select group of Ducks Unlimited chapters rise to the top of the ranks as the President's Elite, each raising $100,000 or more annually for DU's habitat conservation work. Shelby County was 80th on the list earning a spot of honor.

The SCDU would like to give special thanks to sponsors, donors, and underwriters of the banquet because without them the banquet could not be the success that it is. Also, appreciation to Bob's Pawn Shop for handling the ATF required background checks and Hughes Florist for the table decorations.

Ducks Unlimited Sponsors and Underwriters

Corporate Sponsors: Shelby Vet and Associates, Sand Hill Foundation, Few Ready Mix, Hometown Marine, Roy Blackshear, Bill Lloyd, Yazoo Thomas, Terry Bailey, Center Broadcasting, Light & Champion, R&K Distributors, PORTACOOL, Farmers State Bank, Shelby Savings Bank, Edward Jones, 4GContractors, Platinum Tire, Mild to Wild, Mettauer Law Office, C&S Rentals, Piney Forest Products, D&I Trucking, Steel Building Supply, Aztec Consulting, and Hughes Family.

Underwriters/Donors: Century Shop, Center ATV, Zacks Tint Shop, Watson & Son Funeral Home, Elite Hair Design, Petes Pro Auto, Steaks & More, L&L Taxidermy, Edward Jones, Lasting Impressions, Windham Dentistry, The Balcony, Center Automotive Collision Specialist, Ace Hardware, Golden Eye Clinic, 4G Contractors, R&D, The Loft, Shoop Financial, Hughes Florist, Morris Timber, Cody Barton, McAdams Propane, Triple T, Rio Theater, Backwoods Buggies, Ultra Shade, Texas State Bank, Sabine State Bank, The Reserve, Monco Motor Company, Jonnies Liquor, Pineywoods Beverage, Handy Andy, General Shelters, Delbert Beckham Metal Art, Covington Lumber, Boles Feed, Southern Seasons, Center Floral, 4C Electric, Center Glass, Goodtimes Smokehouse, Pine Grove Nursing Home, Spartan Structures, and J&J Feed.