Saturday’s eighth annual Friends for Diabetes Dorchester Sporting Clay Fun Shoot to benefit the American Diabetes Association could put Team Liberty in the fundraising lead, but campaign manager Danny Creasy said it may take a few days before the final tally is available.
The event is the largest single fundraiser for the American Diabetes Association’s annual Kiss-A-Pig campaign.
Creasy said the shoot benefitted from extra exposure this year thanks, in part, to the CW outdoors network, which filmed a commercial at the Dorchester Shooting Preserve in Midway, where the event was held. The network ran the promotion leading up to the fundraiser.
Gun enthusiasts also were drawn to the large selection of Beretta shot guns at the clay shoot. Beretta President Jeff Nardone even dropped by to provide shooting instructions.
The Dorchester Shooting Preserve is an official outlet for Beretta, Creasy said, and Nardone was impressed with the facility, the cause and the sporting clay field.
“This could benefit us for next year’s event,” Creasy said at Friday’s silent auction and dinner gala.
The weekend was part of a two-day event hosted by Team Liberty, which is trying to raise $100,000 and the right to kiss Armani the pig at this year’s May 7 campaign gala in Savannah.
Kiss-A-Pig is an annual event where communities and local business teams compete against one another to see who can bring in the most money to help find a cure for diabetes.
The pig is the focal point of the ADA’s signature event because the animal’s pancreas was the first source of insulin for people who were living with diabetes.
Friday’s silent auction reportedly brought in around $32,000, but Creasy said that’s an early estimate that could go higher.
He said the final tally for the entire weekend hasn’t been finalized.
Prizes were awarded to the top finalists in their respective categories, and everyone enjoyed barbecue after the shoot.
Maria Center, the director for the Southeast Georgia and Coastal South Carolina American Diabetes Association, said the entire weekend was incredible.
“Once again, the tremendous and outstanding Liberty County leadership was everywhere in evidence at both events this past weekend,” she said.
“The Wild Taste of Dorchester was an overwhelming success, a complete sellout. ... The fun shoot the next day was great. They had a phenomenal turn out. The Dorchester people and all the event organizers are first-class people who know how to put on first-class, A+ events.”