Blackfoot River Ducks Unlimited hosting 23rd Annual Banquet

The Blackfoot River Ducks Unlimited Chapter will host its 23rd annual fundraising banquet Saturday, May 13at the Lincoln Community Hall.

The committee has been hard at work planning, organizing and collecting donations to make this their best banquet to date.

Letters went out to area individuals, businesses and organizations to solicit donations for the event. If you didn't receive a letter but would still like to donate, please reach out to one of the committee volunteers Sue Anderson, Nyle & Sue Howsmon, Tammy Jordan, Ernie & Renee Lundberg, Emily Rundell, Debbie Schoenen, Ellie Schouten, Dawn & Gary Schwalm, Sherry Sidell, Holly VerHoeven, and Julie Zarske.

Invitations to the banquet were mailed last week, but if you would like to register online, you can do so on the Ducks Unlimited website. The longtime favorite event is expected to sell out and the committee recommends registering early. You can also register by phone by contacting Tammy Jordan at 406-633-0073.

Single ticket price is $55, couple's ticket is $85 and youth (under 17) tickets are $25. Each ticket includes dinner at the event and a year's membership to Ducks Unlimited. For those unable to attend the event in person but would like to support Ducks Unlimited, there is a "member not attending" option for $35, which also included a year's membership to the organization, or a Bronze Sponsor option for $250, which provides entry into a special, sponsor only gun drawing.

Dinner this year is being provided by Stephanie Leonard or Blackfoot Valley Catering and the cash bar is hosted by The Wheel Inn Tavern.

The banquet will feature many games and raffles, as well as a silent and live auctions. There are more than 15 guns to be won at the event. Additionally, there will be a registered Labrador Retriever puppy up for grabs during the live auction this year. The silent and live auctions will also feature local artwork, jewelry, gift baskets and more. Make sure to check out the Blackfoot River Ducks Unlimited Chapter Facebook page to see some sneak peeks at some of the amazing auction items.

Fundraising events such as the Blackfoot River DU Banquet help ensure that waterfowl will have places to nest, raise their young, and migrate through and winter in each year. Your attendance at the Lincoln banquet will help DU conserve wetlands and critical upland habitat vital to North America's waterfowl and the more than 900 other species of wildlife that use these same habitats.

For more information about Ducks Unlimited and the work they do, please visit the website at: http://www.ducks.org.

The committee looks forward to seeing you at the event and appreciates the support from the community and local businesses who help ensure the success of these events each year.