The local Ducks Unlimited (DU) chapter held its annual banquet Saturday night at the Jerauld County 4-H Building in Wessington Springs. Committee members’ hard work paid off with a lucrative banquet.
“The funds we raise at our annual banquet go towards conservation of local habitat for ducks, geese and all wildlife,”said Tom Mebius, Ducks Unlimited committee chairman of over two decades for the local chapter and central district chairman of the organization.
Habitat improvement is a primary focus for the local chapter of Ducks Unlimited, with fundraising efforts helping restore over 1.1 million acres in the state.
On an average, every $1 raised locally is matched $9 by the national organization. All of those funds return to South Dakota for habitat improvement.
Jerauld County enjoys 2,002 public hunting habitat acres due to 14 Ducks Unlimited projects in the area.
The annual banquet kicked off the night with a social, followed by supper. The much-loved event also featured a variety of raffles and games throughout the evening that helped the chapter raise funds for conservation.
“The live auction went really well,” said Mebius. “I want to thank the members and volunteers for their hard work that contributed to the overall success of this year’s banquet. Pulling off large scale events like the Ducks Unlimited banquet each year rely on the help of many volunteers.”