The Dexter Leader
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A real shot in the arm
Chelsea Rod & Gun hosts fund-raiser for Mill Lake camp
By Edward Freundl, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: August 21, 2008
Taking the next step on the road to rebuild the Mill Lake Camp, sportsman's groups joined with auto racing royalty on Aug. 14 at the Chelsea Rod & Gun Club.
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The second Racing for Wildlife event in this area was meant to raise awareness as well as a few dollars to get the ball rolling on the proposed $1.5 million restoration effort.
Race car driver Ryan Newman, a familiar face to the current generation of NASCAR fans, has enlisted the help of his own fan club and the philanthropic foundation bearing his name to get the word out about the project.
It is one of several similar restoration efforts in nature areas near NASCAR tracks nationwide.
The Ryan Newman Foundation is teaming up with NASCAR, Michigan International Speedway, the Michigan United Conservation Clubs, The Conservation Fund and, of course, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
And on Thursday, those groups were joined by NASCAR legend Bobby Allison, well-known to an earlier generation of stock car racing fans.
"This is fun — it's a way to connect the fans and my foundation with a good cause," Newman said.
"It's important to put your philanthropic efforts into things you enjoy."
Newman explained that the foundation would collect money from fans and sponsors, but there's no set dollar amount that will be donated to the Mill Lake project.
"The goal is to have the area support the camp," Newman said. "The most important thing right now is to raise awareness; once you do that, the finances will come."
Newman, a native of South Bend, Ind., said he spent a lot of time in Michigan when he was growing up, and enjoys hunting, fishing and other outdoors activities.
Thursday's event was just part of a long weekend for Newman, who hosted about 250 members of his fan club at the Mill Lake camp on Wednesday and drove in Sunday's 3M Performance 400 NASCAR race at MIS in Brooklyn.
Although the focus of the project is Mill Lake, Thursday's event took place next door at the Cedar Lake camp, which the MUCC has leased from the state for several years as a youth camp.
After a picnic lunch of hot dogs, hamburgers and the trimmings, several of the principal players spoke to dozens of people who paid $100 each for the fund-raiser.
Rex Boner, vice president of The Conservation Fund, thanked the many participants in the project.
"Racing for Wildlife was just a concept a year ago; it's a humbling experience to see how far we've come so fast — we've met so many great people along the way," said Rex Boner, vice president of The Conservation Fund.
"If we don't get kids connected to the land, we're not going to have the stewards for the next generation."
The project also has support in the state Legislature, with Republican Sen. Randy Richardville of Monroe.
"I'm interested in seeing how today's event goes," said Richardville, R-District 17. "I enjoy shooting skeet, and I'm looking forward to having some fun."
Boner introduced Allison as someone who is also an outdoorsman.
"For me it's great to be involved, and I appreciate what you're doing with trying to restore the camp," Allison said.
Cedar Lake Facilities Director Bob Smith, said reviving the Mill Lake camp will also help the Cedar Lake camp.
"We're all part of one team - having Mill Lake open will be good advertising for us at Cedar Lake," Smith said.
"Once people see how we treat families (at Mill Lake), it'll have a positive impact on us (at Cedar Lake).
"It's great that they're going to have them (Ryan Newman and Bobby Allison) lend their names to us," he added.
"It'll have more impact on our ability to bring Mill Lake back to its glory days — plus, they're just darn nice guys."
Gary Haner, who is managing the Mill Lake project for the DNR, is putting to good use his experience with children and families as the retired superintendent of Pinckney and Clarkson school districts.
"What we are planning on is, one, re-establishing the camp physically through restoration and reconstruction; and two, developing actual programming," Haner said.
"I'm very excited about the impact Chelsea will have on the camp, and the people at the camp will have on Chelsea businesses."
That impact on Chelsea businesses is one of the reasons that the Chelsea Area Chamber of Commerce in involved, according to Executive Director Bob Pierce.
"This has been a wonderful opportunity for Chelsea to showcase its community resources; it has also benefited local businesses," he said.
Pierce noted that the fan club event was catered by Chelsea Community Hospital's food service department, Chelsea Rentals provided equipment, and Chelsea Signs provided all the directional and welcome signs.
The organizations booked more than 20 room nights in local hotels and local restaurants were busy with fans, fan club staff and national support staff for Racing for Wildlife and the Conservation Fund, Pierce added.
"The Chamber acted as 'boots on the ground' for the fan club and made local business contacts for them," he said.
"This event is having a very positive economic impact on our community, and it's worthy of our support and collaboration."
After lunch the entourage relocated to the Chelsea Rod & Gun Club on Lingane Road for the main event, spending the rest of the afternoon on the outdoor range.
About three dozen participants divided up into teams of five for two rounds of 25 shots each.
Shotguns, shells and clay targets were provided by the club, which is solidly behind the Mill Lake project.
"The club has been around since 1937, and we're a charter member of MUCC," said club president Greg Peter. "This is an opportunity to 'marry' a lot of different groups."
Along with that variety of groups came participants from a variety of locations.
Duran Martinez of Lansing brought his 9-year-old daughter Eryn so both could take advantage of some target shooting.
"I was invited by Conservation Fund officials, they really want me to be involved," said Martinez, promotions director and DJ for Lansing radio station WMMQ, 94.9-FM.
He is also host of a radio show, "AM Outdoors," that is being syndicated to several radio stations.
"I've had involvement in NASCAR through our sister station and wanted to be part of a really neat organization; get in on the ground floor," Martinez said.
"I love radio, I love the outdoors, I spend a lot of time outdoors with my daughter, so I'm happy to get out here and support this."
Tom Altom of Springfield, Mass., likely traveled the farthest from his home after receiving an e-mail about the event from the Ryan Newman fan club.
"It's a great idea; it's great to have somebody like Ryan Newman and his foundation put some name power behind it," Altom said.
"(The Mill Lake camp) still needs a lot, but the hardest part of it will be the restoration," he added.
"Conserving the old buildings and bringing them up to today's standards will be costly."
Rob Jellison, from Hartland in Livingston County, won the adult prize package consisting of $150 in cash plus a basket full of hats, water bottles and other gift goodies, with a score of 44 out of 50.
"I'm a seventh-grade teacher at Hartland Middle School, a Ryan Newman and NASCAR fan and an outdoorsman," Jellison said.
"I donated the $150 back to the project."
The youth winner was Jacob Popp, age 11, also of Hartland, with a score of 20 out of 50.
The Conservation Fund's Boner said he appreciated the community's support of the Racing for Wildlife concept.
"This is just the first of many such projects near NASCAR tracks across the country; stay tuned for more Racing for Wildlife activities," he said.
"The community is excited about it, they're giving us great support and it'll be a great benefit for the community."
Pierce said the Chamber is "building a relationship" with NACAR and MIS through from the entire county will benefit.
"Our investment has been about 20 hours of my time, and we've already seen this kind of return on investment," he said, pointing out al the participants at the club.
"This is the benefit we have right now for the community; it will multiply exponentially as the camp progresses as the word goes out nationally through NASCAR, the Conservation Fund and the Ryan Newman Foundation."
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