February 12, 2009

Contact: Brandon Mason
Tel.: 701-527-0609
E-mail: brandon@muledeer.org

Volunteer Recognition Night 2009

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – On February 6, 2009, at the Western Hunting and Conservation Expo (WHCE) in Salt Lake City, Utah, the MDF had a very special event in and amongst everything else that was going on at this one of a kind celebration. We had our annual Volunteer Recognition Night. This is a free event for all MDF volunteers to attend if they happen to be in Salt Lake City for the WHCE.

For the last two years, I’ve had the benefit of helping coordinate this event and both times it has opened my eyes to just how many extremely dedicated volunteers that our organization has. Volunteers from literally all over the country were at the ceremony. This fact was proven when MDF Director of Field Operations Bob Meulengracht asked where everyone was from. There were there to celebrate their membership and all that they do to help make the MDF what it is. Below is a list of all of the awards given out and the recipients of those awards.

One of the awards, the Maggie Justice Conservation Legacy Award, is given to an individual that exemplifies what it means to be a dedicated volunteer. This award is named after the lady who dedicated her life to conservation, education, and sportsmen related causes. Nominees for this award have to go above and beyond the normal ‘call of duty’ for a number of years and in several different capacities to be nominated. I’m pleased to inform all of you that couldn’t be there on the 6th of February that the recipient was Art Craker from Mesa, Ariz. Art has been volunteering his time for MDF, Ducks Unlimited and a wealth of others for over 30 years. He has also recently been named one of the Arizona State Chairs by Regional Director Fawna Gregory. Art was blown away when we announced his name and had a hard time choking back the tears. Congratulations Art! This special award couldn’t have gone to a better person.

We also give awards for hours that volunteers spend out in the field getting their hands dirty. These awards are named after Bob Terry, a MDF volunteer that exhibited what "Sweat Equity" meant during his lifetime. Bob’s wife Theresa and his brother John were present and donated four prints that were in a series that Bob owned. Regional Director Mike Laughter performed his impressive auctioneering services and was able to raise $5,000 and the buyer said to sell them again! They were sold a second time for $1,500! The total $6,500 will be put into a Bob Terry Conservation Partnership. The money will go directly to funding MDF projects in Bob’s name.

Another exciting part of the evening was when the crowd was able to watch a DVD that had the MDF 2009 “Share the Tradition” theme to it. Thanks to Mossback Productions and MDF VP of Marketing, Ray Crow we were able to see picture after picture of MDF staff and volunteers sharing time with family and friends while out enjoying the great outdoors. After all, that is what the MDF is all about: putting money on the ground to preserve wildlife populations for the enjoyment of future generations.

Thanks to all who attended and for all that each and every one of you do to make the MDF the best it can be so that we can put money “on the ground” for mule deer and other wildlife. To see how you can get involved with MDF activities in your areas, look around our Web site or call 888-375-3337. Here is the list of awards and award recipients:

Category	Location	Name of Chapter or Volunteer	Value
Highest Efficiency - New	Kemmerer, WY	Kemmerer	71.20%
Highest Efficiency - New - Runner-Up	Santa Fe, NM	Northern New Mexico	53.40%
Highest Net - New	Kemmerer, WY	Kemmerer	$40,229.87
Highest Net - New - Runner-Up	Santa Fe, NM	Northern New Mexico	$16,665.94
Highest Efficiency - Existing	LaPine, OR	Paulina Peak	81%
Highest Efficiency - Existing - Runner-Up	Bozeman, MT	Southwest Montana	69.50%
Highest Net - Existing	Casper, WY	Central Wyoming	$101,248.32
Highest Net - Existing - Runner-Up	Rock Springs, WY	Muley Fanatic	$81,247.09
Most Improved	Rock Springs, WY	Muley Fanatic	29 points
Most Improved - Runner-up	Greeley, CO	Northern Front Range	13 points
60% Net	Bismarck, ND	Northern Badlands	59.90%
	LaPine, OR	Paulina Peak	81%
	Vernal, UT	Uintah Basin	68.50%
	Twin Falls, ID	Magic Valley	62.60%
	Bozeman, MT	Southwest Montana	69.50%
	Mt. Vernon, WA	Skagit Valley	64.50%
	Spokane, WA	Spokane	69.20%
	Greeley, CO	Northern Front Range	63.20%
	Denver, CO	Mile High	63.30%
	McCook, NE	Frenchman	60.60%
	Casper, WY	Central Wyoming	61.60%
	Kemmerer, WY	Kemmerer	71.40%
	Rifle, CO	Pass the Buck
	Eagle, CO	Buckhorn
	Tooele, UT	Tooele County
Bob Terry Sweat Equity - Bronze	Twin Falls, ID	Magic Valley	50 Hours
Up to 500 hours	Klamath Falls, OR	Klamath Falls	142 Hours
	Quincy, CA	Plumas County	155 Hours
	Reno, NV	Northern Nevada	80 Hours
	Gardnerville, NV	Sierra Nevada	20 Hours
	Davis County	Davis County	240 Hours
	Rocky Mtn. Workshop	Multiple Chapters	379 Hours
	Ogden, UT	Ogden	24 Hours
	Logan, UT	Bear River	8 Hours
	Box Elder, UT	Box Elder County	16 Hours
	Elko, NV	Great Basin	85 hours
	Rock Springs, WY	Muley Fanatic
	St. Johns, AZ	St. Johns	30 Hours
Bob Terry Sweat Equity - Silver	Greeley, CO	Northern Front Range	512 Hours
500 - 999 Hours
Bob Terry Sweat Equity - Gold	LaPine, OR	Paulina Peak	2723 Hours
1000 Hours and Up	Eagle, CO	Buckhorn	1100 Hours
	Sonora, CA	Motherlode	3227 Hours
State Chairs	AZ	Jon Mott
	CA	John Terry
	CA	Rich Fletcher
	CA	George Corder
	CO	Joe Straley
	ID	Dave Peterson
	MT	Dan Dillenger
	MO	Dennis Neier
	NM	Jacob Tolk
	NV	Billie Gregory
	NV	Oly Flach
	OR	Matt Bales
	UT	Wayne Winsor
	WA	Mike Jones
Maggie Justice Conservation Legacy Award	Mesa, AZ	Art Craker

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