“Aim at a high mark and you’ll hit it. No, not the first time, nor the second time. Maybe not the third. But keep on aiming and keep on shooting for only practice will make you perfect.”
That quote was written by Annie Oakley and there is a group of women who get together every month to practice their aim.
The Low Country Annie Oakleys started over nine years ago with the mission of enhancing and promoting the sport of clay shooting for women and raising funds for local charities which support the health of at-risk children in the Low Country region. This area includes parts of Georgia and South Carolina. They are a diverse group of women united by a common love of shooting.
And they are serious about helping local children. Five years ago, they started a charity clays tournament. Their goal was to name a room at the local children’s hospital with a donation of $25,000. Their inaugural shoot raised five times that amount. Since then they have named operating rooms, the intensive care nurses’ station, and the pharmacy with proceeds from the next two shoots. In just four years, they have raised and donated more than $700,000 to the hospital, a food bank for children, and the local Boy’s and Girl’s Club.
This year they have added CURE Childhood Cancer as a beneficiary for their 5th annual Charity Clays on October 11.
“Our goal is to get to $1 million donated,” said Nancy Thomas, one of the co-chairs for the event. “We are a group who loves to shoot, but we also want to make a difference in the area where we live, and we have seen the important work CURE is doing in the lives of children fighting cancer.”
These women are definitely making a difference. The event is limited to 40 teams and sells out quickly. Sponsors such as Presenting Sponsor, Springer Mountain Farms, also help them to reach their goals. And the day-long event includes raffles for a Caesar Guerini shotgun raffle and David Yurman matching bracelet and earrings set, a bourbon tasting, and an After Party with awards, cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, silent auction, and live music.
Basketball has always been Bailey Moody’s favorite sport. After bone cancer forced a partial amputation of her right leg when she was ten years old, she wasn’t sure if she would be able to continue to play. Then she discovered wheelchair basketball. Bailey made the U.S. National Women’s Basketball Team last year at 16 and was one of the youngest players on the team. While she enjoys the travel, it has been incredibly hard work.
He has spent some additional time in the hospital due to asthma but is doing great today. He is a part of the survivorship program which entails an annual scan to make sure he remains cancer-free. This freedom from treatment has given him more time to pursue his precious diamond collection. Christopher sometimes gets caught smuggling them into the house, and many of the precious stones that make it home go through a special cleansing process along with the rest of his laundry. A six-year-old often forgets to empty his pockets.
Christopher’s family created a team at CURE Childhood Cancer’s annual Lauren’s Run. Team Courageous Christopher sent letters and emails offering his diamonds in exchange for a donation. Each diamond came with an original certificate of authenticity. His supporters immediately recognized Christopher’s passion and the value of such a prized collection. Orders and donations began pouring in.
Jackson is a thriving ten-year-old now. He loves to wrestle and play baseball. And in the seven years since their first Lauren’s Run, Team Jackson has raised over $25,000 to fight childhood cancer. They have also fallen in love with the event itself.
