LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance hosted its Fifth Annual Clays for a Cause fundraising event April 25, bringing in more than $270,000 in charitable donations to help fight hunger and food insecurity in Kentucky, according to officials.

In fact, in just five years, this shooting event has already raised nearly $1.35 million in charitable donations.

“We launched Clays for a Cause a few years ago as a way to rally our friends and partners in the business community toward the common goal of helping Kentuckians in need,” said John Sparrow, Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance executive vice president and CEO.

“It’s been amazing to see the event grow so rapidly, but the true blessing is knowing that its success means we’re helping deliver much-needed nutrition to thousands who seek assistance providing it for their families.”

According to Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance, 360 participants on 90 teams attended the sold-out sporting clays event, held at Jefferson Gun Club in Brooks, Ky., and supported by 35 sponsoring companies.

Dan Smaldone, Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance director of communications, said the event’s name is a hat tip to both the activity and the ultimate reason behind it.

“This is a sporting clays shooting event that steps away from traditional golf scramble fundraisers and provides a unique, fun, safe, and exciting day on the range to participants of all different skill levels,” he said. “It also clearly reminds people that this is more than just a fun day, but one with great purpose and huge potential impact.

“Not only does Clays for a Cause help raise money for this great need, it has also allowed us to help educate and increase awareness of the issue of food insecurity right here in our own state,” he added.

While many seasoned sharpshooters sign up for the event each year, he said there are no skill level requirements to participate, other than to keenly observe all the safety measures typically found on a gun range.

“A registration fee is all that is needed to participate,” he said. “The event is set up with 25 stations that throw clays in various directions and angles, leaving the teams of four shooters to take turns targeting clays as they make their way around the various locations.

“The event is staged as a competition, but we also recognize not everyone is participating with the same level of experience, so we divide the shooters into three tiers of scoring, and award prizes to the top two in each group,” he added.

He said, “Six individuals, therefore, win scoring prizes for the highest score in each tier, and the top overall team score is also recognized. However, the event is very large and has two flights (one in the morning and one for the afternoon, with a large, catered lunch for everyone in between).

“So, there are 12 total individual awards and two team awards given out throughout the day (as the scoring is measured in each flight, not overall for the entire day),” he added.

Because Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance underwrites 100 percent of the expenses to produce this event, every dollar raised from sponsorships, participant fees and donations is given directly to the selected charity or cause.

This year, all proceeds were again designated to support local hunger relief efforts through the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Kentucky Hunger Initiative. First held in April 2019, Clays for a Cause has grown in both size and contributions each year since then.

Moreover, this year’s $270,155 donation will again be divided among three local non-profits: Feeding Kentucky, Glean Kentucky, and Kentucky Hunters for the Hungry.

“Kentucky Farm Bureau has been a wonderful advocate for Kentucky’s food insecure,” said Ryan Quarles, Kentucky commissioner of agriculture. “The amount of money raised through Clays for a Cause the last five years has been tremendous.

“The support Farm Bureau has shown to the Kentucky non-profit organizations that fight hunger is exactly the type of advocacy I had in mind when I began the Hunger Initiative at the beginning of my administration as agriculture commissioner,” he added. “I’m beyond impressed at what Farm Bureau and other participants have been able to do during this event.”

Launched in 2016, the Kentucky Hunger Initiative brings together farmers, charitable organizations, faith groups, community leaders and government entities to look for ways to reduce hunger in Kentucky.

The non-profit organizations receiving a share of the proceeds from this year’s fundraiser continue to share the sentiment that this mission is being accomplished through events like Clays for a Cause.

“We are so grateful for Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance and their commitment to our neighbors facing hunger,” said Jamie Sizemore, Feeding Kentucky board chair. “One in seven of our neighbors in Kentucky are food insecure, so partnerships like this are so important to our common mission of ending hunger.”

Roger LaPointe, Kentucky Hunters for the Hungry executive director, said the generosity and continued support of sponsors like Kentucky Farm Bureau has awarded Kentucky Hunters for the Hungry’s program the opportunity to expand services to additional communities and groups in need.

“These opportunities have resulted in record growth of the program, and exciting new pilot programs to expand our outreach and impact,” he said. “We are grateful for our generous sponsors, and the sportsmen and sportswomen who help us continue our mission to alleviate hunger in the Commonwealth.”

Ben Southworth, Glean Kentucky executive director, said the investment Kentucky Farm Bureau has made into Glean Kentucky over the last several years has been transformative for the organization.

“This support has allowed us to expand the impact of our work from being totally focused in Central Kentucky to now having second and third regions of service, centered in Warren County and Oldham County, respectively,” he said. “All this means that we’re able to rescue more fresh produce and help more of our neighbors throughout the Commonwealth facing food insecurity.”

The next Clays for a Cause event will be April 23, 2024. For more information about the event, visit: https://www.kyfb.com/insurance/clays-for-a-cause/.