MORGANTOWN — A first-of-its-kind fundraiser on April 7 will raise money for Operation Welcome Home, a non-profit that helps veterans find a civilian career.
The event is being held in partnership with the Mon Health Medical Center Foundation at Defense in Depth (DID).
Morgantown Shootout, the fundraiser, will see up to 120 teams compete on 16 firing lanes, with 16 types of firearms. Josh Zerkel, director of operations at DID, said the tournament is played like a golf tournament and scored sort of like darts. He added the different guns are worth about $22,000.
Each two-man team will try to make “par,” on each lane, he said. Each lane will have a different type of gun, including Glock pistols, a Daniel Defense AR and an optional full-auto MP5. Each gun will only have a number of bullets equivalent to the lane’s par.
Zerkel said the store will be closed to the public on event day. Not only will the range be filled with shooters, but the store’s simulator, the only one of its kind in the area, will also be used for a second tournament.
Brett Simpson, CEO of Operation Welcome Home (OWH), said the idea for the tournament came from a fundraising committee, is a great fit for veterans and is causing excitement.
The money raised will go to helping veterans prepare for a civilian job, Simpson said. OWH helps veterans navigate the civilian job market and offers mock interviews, resume help, workshops and more, he said.
When a veteran is ready, OWH also works to help place them in a job through its relationships with community partners. The organization also helps dependents of veterans, Simpson said.
May will mark the organization’s six year anniversary and in 2017 the program found jobs for 89 veterans, largely thanks to the organization’s job fair at Mylan Park, Simpson said.
Zerkel said the event was a “good fit,” for the DID, which employs 40 percent veterans. The store is donating $2,000 and proving a safe environment for the tournament, including range safety officers.
There will be prizes for top competitors, door prizes, a silent auction and food.
It cost $250 per team to enter, an additional $100 to shoot a magazine of MP5 and $50 to enter the simulator tournament, Simpson said.
He highly recommended pre-registering at http://welcomehomewv.com.
