alumni spillage: Dafter Mud Runs support local charities

The Dafter Lion?s Club organizes four mud run events each year which are held the second Sunday of June, July, and August the mud runs are held at the Dafter Park in Dafter Michigan and the Saturday grand stand event at the Chippewa County Fair in Kinross.? The proceeds from the events help support local events, groups, and organizations, including but not limited to Road to Recovery, Relay for Life, Special Education, Hospice of the EUP, WMH Diabetes Education, Air Life, Teaching Family Homes, The Salvation Army, WMH Long Term Car, Special Olympics, and Walk for Warmth.? The Dafter Lions select a group or two to receive the proceeds from the August event each year and are excited to work with The Broken Arrow Archer 4-H group and Bay Cliff Health Camp this year.?

?The Broken Arrow Archer 4-H archer club is a part of MSU Extension Youth Development.? The archery club consists of kids ages 7 to 18 years of age.? The club shoots year round and is currently in the process of moving into a new indoor facility that will allow the club to continue to grow.? It started with 10 members three years ago and is now approaching 50 youth.? The archery club is continually trying to raise funds to support the growing equipment needs and building expenses.? Archery is a sport where archers gain self-confidence and personal satisfaction through the continual challenge of trying to better your shooting abilities.? Kids of all physical abilities can excel in archery.? Emotional and physical limitations no longer exist while at the range, kids with self-esteem issues come alive! The new facility will house a DART video archery system, the system allows you to shoot your own equipment at a video screen that is 10 foot by 12 foot in size at a 20 yard distance.? Video scenarios consist of hunts across North America and Africa allowing the youth to feel as if they are hunting at the same time building skills that will help them if they choose to hunt in the future.? The video system will be open to the public as specified times to aid in the fund raising activities for the club.

Bay Cliff Health Camp is a year-round, non-profit therapy and wellness center for children and adults with physical disabilities. Bay Cliff?s priority program is a seven-week, summer therapy camp session serving children with orthopedic, speech, hearing, and vision disabilities. The children work towards goals of increased independence and living a fuller life. Bay Cliff also sponsors a week-long recreational camp for adults with physical disabilities, an adaptive paddling workshop, a health and wellness retreat for polio survivors, winter recreation for the children and adults that attend our summer programs, family programs for children with spina bifida, obesity and cerebral palsy, and a professional development workshop for pediatric therapists. Bay Cliff partners with non-profit organizations and schools interested in conducting programs at camp. These guest programs include health and wellness retreats, youth development camps, science and outdoor recreation programs, or volunteer and leadership trainings for people with or without disabilities

On average the Dafter events have over 200 attendees raising over $1,000 that will support local organizations and events.? There is a 100% pay out for registration fees per class and sponsorship money is added to each class.? There is usually around $3,000 awarded to the top drivers at year race.? The boys scouts showed their support by manning the concession stand and the Community Health Access Coalition (CHAC) sold 50/50 tickets to help support prescription assistance in the EUP.?? ?

The next mud run will be on Sunday, August 12^th with registration from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and mud flying at noon.?