10/23/2008
Beyond the Backyard, a Bobby Warner Charitable Youth Foundation based in Charleston, recently made a $1,500 donation to the Division of Natural Resources (DNR) to purchase a state-of-the-art scoring system for DNR’s Archery in the Schools (AIS) Program.
“This generous donation, made by Beyond the Backyard, will allow our AIS Program to run a highly efficient State Tournament in March 2009,” said Curtis Taylor, Chief of the DNR Wildlife Resources Section. “Through this donation, our state will be using the same scoring system the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) uses at the National Tournament in Louisville, Kentucky.”
West Virginia’s AIS Program (www.wvdnr.gov/archery) teaches Olympic-style target archery in participating grade 4 – 12 public and private school physical education classes. The AIS Program has grown at a phenomenal rate in West Virginia, going from just 19 schools in 2004 to more than 150 participating schools in 2008. In four short years, it is estimated that more than 30,000 West Virginia students have experienced archery through the AIS Program. Because of the success of the program, DNR has been able to host an annual state tournament over the past three years. These tournaments have grown from 280 archers the first year to more than 500 participants this past spring. Due to the phenomenal rate of growth of the AIS Program’s state tournaments, it has become logistically impossible to continue the current tournament scoring process.
“The new scoring system will undoubtedly expedite and improve the scoring process – leading to a flawless, thoroughly enjoyable event for hundreds of state youths each year,” said Taylor. “We know that with this generous financial assistance, the quality of our state tournaments will match both the enthusiasm of our participants and the fantastic growth of the program. We welcome Beyond the Backyard’s financial assistance, which will help the DNR touch the lives of many West Virginia school children, and potential future sportsmen and women for years to come.”
Beyond the Backyard is West Virginia’s first and only outdoor youth organization dedicated to both children and parents. Totally free, members receive quarterly newsletters of upcoming outdoor-oriented events and can post their stories and photos on the website. For more information, visit online www.beyondthebackyard.org or call 1-866-WV-WOODS; e-mail cwalls@beyondthebackyard.org
Contact Information
Curtis Taylor
304-558-2771
wildlife@wvdnr.gov