Union Volunteers, USA and Remington Arms Join Forces to Give High School Trap Team a New Home

Spring Hill, Tenn. — Illinois youths will soon enjoy expanded recreational shooting opportunities, thanks in part to the labors of union volunteers and a $10,000 grant from the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance and conservation partner Remington Arms.

The coalition joined forces with local businesses and community members to build a new trap and skeet shooting complex at the Cumberland County Sportsmen’s Club. Located south of Champaign near Greenup, the complex will feature an 8-station trap and skeet range, complete with ADA-approved wheelchair accessible walkways.

A second trap-only range certified by the Amateur Trapshooting Association is also under construction, and will provide the Cumberland High School Trap Team a welcome base of operations.

“The Cumberland team currently practices at shared facilities that are some distance away, which creates scheduling and transportation hardships for team members and their families,” said Josh McElravy, Central Laborers’ Local 159 member and president of the Lincoln Land Building & Construction Trades Council. “The new range will provide a convenient place to practice and host competitions with shooters from the surrounding area.” It will also benefit other youth and adult shooting programs, including 4-H Shooting Sports, youth events and recreational trap and skeet leagues.

To date, union volunteers from Laborers’ Local 159, Plasterers & Cement Masons Local 143, Operating Engineers Local 841, Electrical Workers Local 702, Bricklayers Local 8 and Carpenters Locals 243 and 270 have donated more than 500 hours of labor valued at nearly $28,000 to the project. The $10,000 grant from the USA and Remington, donated through the USA’s United Outdoors Conservation Fund, was used to purchase materials and equipment for the trap field.

“The USA is excited to support projects like this,” said USA Conservation Manager Rob Stroede. “We’re proud to join with Remington Arms and the union volunteers donating their time and skills through our Work Boots on the Ground conservation program to help provide a facility that will enable youth to enjoy the shooting sports for years to come.”

Launched in 2010, Work Boots on the Ground has completed more than 230 projects in 31 states. The value of donated volunteer labor exceeds $1.5 million, while outreach events have engaged more than 13,000 participants. The USA’s United Outdoors Conservation Fund further expands the organization’s conservation footprint by providing financial assistant to union-based organizations, conservation groups and agency partners to complete impactful conservation and access projects or outreach programs.

USA Director of Sales and Marketing Jay Stuart noted that Cumberland range users were the first beneficiaries of Remington Arms’ increased support of the USA’s fight to preserve North America’s outdoor heritage.

“Earlier this year, we welcomed Remington Arms as a National Conservation Partner,” he explained. “The Cumberland range is the first project to benefit from this partnership. We are grateful to Remington for providing the financial firepower to help the USA and union volunteers expand opportunities for Illinois shooting enthusiasts of all ages, and we look forward to completing many successful projects together in the future.”

“Remington is proud to be partnered with the USA and union volunteers to make this project a reality,” said Remington Director of Marketing Christian Hogg. “We look forward to seeing the young men and women of the Cumberland High School Trap team make use of this facility to hone their skills and promote shooting sports in the area. It will be a great community resource for years to come.”

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Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA): The USA is a union-dedicated, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose members hunt, fish, shoot and volunteer their skills for conservation. The USA is uniting the union community through conservation to preserve North America’s outdoor heritage. For more information, visit www.unionsportsmen.org or connect on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Work Boots on the Ground (WBG): WBG is the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance’s flagship conservation program that brings together union members willing to volunteer their time and expertise to conservation projects that improve and enhance public access to the outdoors, conserve wildlife habitat, restore America’s parks and mentor youth in the outdoors. The USA’s WBG program works closely with federal, state and local agencies and other conservation groups to provide manpower needed to complete critical projects that may otherwise go undone.

Remington Arms: For more than 200 years, Remington firearms have been forged from the untamed spirit that will always define our nation. The proud tradition that began with Eliphalet Remington’s first hand-built rifle in 1816 continues to this day with a full line of fine firearms and accessories. For more information, visit www.remington.com.