PLEASANT GROVE, UT – Utah Youth Education in Shooting Sports (UTYESS) has been awarded $42,000 from the Amateur Trapshooting Association’s AIM program. This donation was made to fourteen Utah teams’ endowment accounts at the MidwayUSA Foundation, as part of the AIM program’s Winter Wonderland Fundraising Challenge.

The AIM match donation was made to the following endowment accounts held at the MidwayUSA Foundation:

• $3,000 to the Cache Valley Crushers Team Endowment
• $3,000 to the Cedar Clay Breakers Team Endowment
• $3,000 to the Golden Spike Smashers Team Endowment
• $3,000 to the Milford Young Guns Team Endowment
• $3,000 to the Nephi Top Shots Team Endowment
• $3,000 to the Ogden Clay Dusters Team Endowment
• $3,000 to the Phoenix Clay Target Team Endowment
• $3,000 to the Purgatory Orange Crush Team Endowment
• $3,000 to the Riverton Shooting Club
• $3,000 to the Skyline X Team Endowment
• $3,000 to the Trigger Therapy Team Endowment
• $3,000 to the Wasatch HS Claybusters Team Endowment
• $3,000 to the Wasatch Wing and Clay Team Endowment
• $3,000 to the Wild Goose Clays Team Endowment

Each team contributed $500 to the Winter Wonderland Fundraising Challenge. Frontline Concrete generously provided a 1:1 match for each of the team’s donations, adding an additional $500 per team. Utah teams and Frontline Concrete donated a combined $14,000.00 to MidwayUSA Foundation Team Endowment accounts, which will be matched through the MidwayUSA Foundation [Foundation] Matching Program in April.  The Foundation match comes in addition to AIM’s Winter Wonderland Fundraising Challenge, which provided each team with a 2:1 match.  The ATA’s AIM program also donated 8 cases of Browning knives to UTYESS to be used in fundraisers or as trophies.

Another notable program that contributed to the success of this fundraiser is the MidwayUSA Foundation product grant program.  Fundraising products, like firearms, optics, coolers, and more are provided, at no cost, to assist teams in raising funds for their endowment.

“Frontline Concrete Inc. held a charity sporting clays tournament in Salt Lake City, Utah to benefit local youth-based non-profit organizations,” Explains Dan Skierkiewicz, owner, Frontline Concrete.  “With volunteer help provided by local USAYESS teams, the event was a huge success.  We were able to donate nearly $20,000 to UTYESS and its member teams.  Part of the money was taken and sent to the AIM Winter Wonderland Challenge, where it was matched and compounded through MidwayUSA Foundation’s Team Endowment program.  As a donor, it is fantastic to see how a simple donation could be grown so quickly to benefit UTYESS and its 400-plus participants for decades to come.  As we saw with the volunteer help at our event, the youth shooting sports go a long way to help today’s young adults learn valuable core values such as teamwork, self-discipline, respect, and community service that will serve them well in their future endeavors.  We are exceptionally pleased with what we’ve seen and look forward to working with USAYESS again soon!”

Sarah Hall, MidwayUSA Foundation Project and Events Manager, talked about the benefits of this collaboration.  “When partners like UTYESS and AIM come together to assist in the fundraising efforts of youth shooting teams, it is a win-win for everyone.  The additional dollars generated will increase the annual cash grant each of these teams can receive, every year, to pay for critical expenses.”

UTYESS has done a lot of work to promote youth shooting sports in the state of Utah. UTYESS currently has over 400 youth athletes participating this year throughout the state of Utah.

About The Amateur Trapshooting Association
The Amateur Trapshooting Association (ATA) is the official governing body of the sport of Trapshooting. Founded in 1889, the ATA is the “faithful protector” of the sport of trapshooting and as such governs the sports’ rules and regulations. The ATA also seeks means to enhance the sport while stimulating growth and participation. The ATA provides trophies, financial assistance and event management to support state and provincial associations. In addition to the many services and perks the ATA offers to its members such as scores published in the Official Magazine of the ATA, Trap & Field, and online tracking of scores via shootata.com; the ATA hosts the largest shooting event of its kind, the Grand American World Trapshooting Championships. The ATA believes that their role as the National Governing Body of American Style Trapshooting instills an obligation to promote a premier program for the development and recognition of young trapshooting athletes everywhere. For more Information on the ATA visit www.shootata.com.

About AIM
AIM is the OFFICIAL youth program of the Amateur Trapshooting Association. Members of AIM will enjoy the thrill of shooting registered competition on a level playing field as an individual and/or as a team. The purpose of AIM is to provide a safe and positive experience with firearms and registered trapshooting for youth, elementary school through college age. AIM encourages good sportsmanship and personal responsibility through competition while establishing the foundation to make trapshooting a lifelong avocation. For more information on the ATA’s AIM program, visit www.aim4ata.com.

About MidwayUSA Foundation
The MidwayUSA Foundation is a public 501(c)(3) charity, founded by Larry and Brenda Potterfield, working to sustain youth shooting sports by providing permanent, long-term endowment funding to over 2,800 youth shooting teams. Every donation made is 100% tax-deductible and supports the mission to help communities and organizations raise funds to support their youth shooting team. Each year, teams can apply for a grant for 5% of their endowment balance to use for expenses, such as range fees, travel, ammunition, uniforms, and more. For more information about the MidwayUSA Foundation and the Team Endowment Account Program, please visit midwayusafoundation.org or call (877) 375-4570.

About Utah Youth Education in Shooting Sports
Utah Youth Education in Shooting Sports (UTYESS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to educating youth in Utah about wildlife conservation and firearm safety and promoting youth shooting sports on a competitive and scholastic level throughout the State of Utah.  Our purpose is to provide training and guidance to the youth shooting programs of Utah, with the goal of developing self-confidence, self-esteem, self-reliance, respect, personal discipline, responsibility, citizenship, teamwork, and sportsmanship through regular practice and competition at local, state, and national events.  For more information on the UTYESS program, or to find a team near you, visit www.utyess.org.