Lancaster Archery Foundation Helps Oklahoma 4-H Expand Archery Program

The Lancaster Archery Foundation is helping an Oklahoma youth group expand its archery program by providing funds to buy more gear.

Bryan County 4-H Shooting Sports of Durant, OK, received a $1,000 grant from the foundation to buy more bows, arrows, backstop netting and 3D targets.

The program sets up shooting ranges in the back of a fairgrounds building, and on the grounds outside, where kids can practice. Officials said a short-term goal is to increase the program’s archery offerings to attract more kids.

“We plan on using the funds to help with youths who may not be able to afford other extracurricular activities,” program officials wrote on their grant application sent to Lancaster Archery Foundation.

“It will also allow us to help retain the ones we have by having better targets and arrows for them to utilize.”

Rob Kaufhold, president of the Lancaster Archery Foundation board of directors, especially appreciates the work 4-H clubs do to bring archery to kids looking to “use their head, heart, hands and health to better their club, community, country and world,” as the 4-H mission statement says.

“We believe there are a wealth of life skills that can be learned through archery,” he said. “The more kids 4-H can bring into archery, the better off the communities they live in will be.”

Based in Lancaster, Pa., the Lancaster Archery Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to expand, develop and promote 3D and target archery to help people improve their confidence, discipline and leadership skills through participation in competitive archery.