Lancaster Archery Foundation awards $100,000 through Growing Youth Archery Together

The Lancaster Archery Foundation, working with a matching grant from Easton Foundations, has awarded $100,000 to organizations from Barrow, Alaska, to Covington La., under the Growing Youth Archery Together grant program.

The money will be used in a variety of ways, but all with the goal of helping clubs and programs get more kids involved in archery.

Archers from Benton Intermediate School - a GYAT grant recipient.

“This was a big challenge for our foundation,” said Rob Kaufhold, president of the Lancaster Archery Foundation’s board of directors.

“From raising the funds to secure the matching grant from Easton Foundations, to soliciting and reviewing grant applications from across the country, to awarding $100,000 to programs that will show kids the value and enjoyment that archery can bring to their lives, the Lancaster Archery Foundation stayed focused on its core values of caring, integrity, perseverance and faith in this endeavor.”

In honor of the 100th anniversary of Easton Archery in 2022, Easton Foundations challenged the Lancaster Archery Foundation to raise $100,000 in order to receive a matching grant of $100,000 from Easton.

Through a variety of means, including direct donations, a round-up program for purchases from Lancaster Archery Supply and a daylong telethon, the Lancaster Archery Foundation in September 2022 raised the $100,000 needed to get the Easton Foundations matching grant.

The Lancaster Archery Foundation annually “provides resources to grow, educate and develop athletes in competitive archery,” in accordance with its mission statements. The Growing Youth Archery Together grant program was specially created to distribute the Easton Foundations matching grant. It was advertised through a variety of sources to spread the word among clubs across the country involved in NASP, S3DA, JOAD, 4-H and OAS.

Nearly 60 grant applications were received and reviewed by the Lancaster Archery Foundation’s directors, who ultimately awarded 22 grants totaling $100,000 to clubs and programs from 14 states. The average grant was around $5,000. The original $100,000 raised during the fund drive will be used to pay for the foundation’s normal grants.

Dale Brubaker, Lancaster Archery Foundation’s grant coordinator, said the majority of the awarded funding will be used to purchase target mats, 3-D targets, bows and range equipment, such as backstop netting and target stands. 

“All items will be used to accommodate more archers and grow their archery programs,” Brubaker said. 

Following is a list of the Lancaster Archery Foundation’s Growing Youth Archery Together grant program recipients:

Asheville Archery Training Center of Asheville, N.C., Flint River Archery Club of Burlington, Iowa, Jeffersontown High School Archery of Louisville, Ky., Taylor County 4-H Archers of Campbellsville, Ky., Hawkins County 4-H of Rogersville, Tenn., Bibb County 4-H Archery Club of Macon, Ga., Northwest Missouri Long Shots of Helena, Mo., Western Colorado Archers of Delta, Colo., Calvary Baptist Academy Archery of Shreveport, La., Ontelaunee Rod & Gun Club Inc. of New Tripoli, Pa., York-Hopewell S3DA of Stewartstown, Pa., Benton Intermediate School NASP of Benton, La., Barrow High School of Barrow, Alaska, Podium JOAD of Paris, Ky., Creek County 4-H Archery Club of Kellyville, Okla., Buena Vista University Archery of Storm Lake, Iowa, Iron Dragon Archery of Orange, N.J., 4-H Cherokee County Shooting Sports of Tahlequah, Okla., Central Texas Archery of Austin, Texas, St. Tammany Parish 4-H of Covington, La., Western PA Youth Outdoorsman Inc. of Darlington, Pa., and SAGES Archers of Fox Lake, Wisc.