Grayson County, Va.

The Grayson County, Va., Chapter held their third Wheelin' Sportsmen hunt with help from Matthew's State Forest, last November. Thanks to hard work by forest rangers and volunteers, hunters harvested seven deer. Two of the white-tailed deer harvested were the largest bucks in the event's history.

Wheelin Sportsmen NWTF

The Campbell Group

The Campbell Group manages timber and outdoor properties across the country, and their Southeastern Division, based in Meridian, Miss., helped make the Mississippi State Chapter's Wheelin' Sportsmen deer hunt for kids with disabilities the most successful one on record — 78 disabled children harvested 56 white-tailed deer.

What started out as a small fundraiser turned into a major gift for the Wheelin' Sportsmen program by The Campbell Group. The group works with hundreds of hunting clubs across the state, and many of them wanted to help. They raised more than $12,000 to support the event and the Wheelin' Sportsmen program in Mississippi.

It is a wonderful example of how the kindness and generosity of individuals, when compounded, can lead to extraordinary opportunities.

Illana Burkhart
Wheelin' Sportsmen Coordinator

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Wheelin' Tube

The NWTF convention is one of my favorite times of the year, because it gives me the opportunity to catch up with old friends, meet new folks and spend a lot of time discussing the Wheelin' Sportsmen program with some of our most dedicated and passionate members and volunteers. It may sound like a cliché, but having the chance to "put a face with a name," or in many cases a voice, of the many folks I talk to on the phone makes me feel more connected to what is going on in the field.

One of the things I love the most is hearing volunteers talk about their events. But this year, instead of bringing photos, many had in hand DVDs containing video highlights of their chapters' activities. With advances in digital cameras, it is as easy to video as it is to photograph, it seems.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video should be worth a million. Just like a warm smile can touch a heart, deep-from-the-belly laughter can rattle a soul. With video, you can see, hear and almost feel how Wheelin' Sportsmen is changing lives. And with websites like YouTube, it's easier than ever to share what your chapter is doing in the community.

Check out some of my favorite Wheelin' event clips that have been posted on YouTube. Enjoy! — Illana

Watch the video of a Wheelin' Sportsmen deer hunt in Louisiana.