Georgia Wildlife Federation

This summer marked the 5th year that the Georgia FFA-FCCLA Center hosted the FFA Wildlife Camps. The goal of the wildlife camp is to teach young boys and girls about outdoor sports and safety and to increase their awareness and appreciation of wildlife. Over 320 campers attended the week-long camps this year and participated in shooting sports, ATV safety, fishing, outdoor cooking, deer stand safety and construction, and wildlife conservation. Campers gained not only valuable hands-on experience and had lots of fun, but also received their Georgia Hunter Education Certification during the week of camp.

The FFA Wildlife Camps have been a huge success. This wouldn't have been possible without support from numerous businesses and individuals. Many of our sponsors help by donating money to our scholar program, which enables kids to come to camp who otherwise wouldn't have the opportunity. The Georgia Wildlife Federation is one of our biggest supporters and has proven to be a valuable asset. This past year GWF donated $3,700 to the FFA Wildlife Camps, allowing several kids to come to camp on scholarship. Money was raised on behalf of the James Hayes Memorial Fund, in honor of one of our most dedicated supporters who passed away this year. The memorial was set up to collect money in lieu flowers for his funeral. The money raised was going to be used to help send kids to Wildlife Camp and to also build a memorial for him at the Georgia FFA-FCCLA Center.

Mr. Hayes embraced the vision for the Camp early on, saying, "It's not just about hunting and fishing. It's about making a difference in a child's life." Involved heavily in our Fundraising Committee, Mr. Hayes didn't waste any time letting everyone know that he meant business, and supported it by putting his money where his mouth was! He was the inspiration for the scholarship program, proclaiming that he wanted every child who applied for a scholarship to receive one. The scholarship program was intended to help parents who couldn't afford to send their child or families who wanted to send multiple children. Thus far, we are proud to say that we have upheld his request. Over 250 of Georgia's youth have been given the opportunity to come to FFA Wildlife Camps on scholarship. Mr. Hayes was an amazing person and friend, for which we will work harder to stay focused on embracing the vision for the FFA Wildlife Camp: It's not just about hunting and fishing anymore, it's about building character and responsibility.