Laramie, Wyo. –-(Ammoland.com)- Wanting to ensure hunting stays a tradition in the Cowboy State, Groathouse Construction, Inc. has stepped forward to sponsor a youth hunter from Cody at this year’s Wyoming Women’s Antelope Hunt.
Katie Couture, who will be a sophomore at Cody High School this year, will join female hunters from across the nation for a weekend of hunting, mentorship, and camaraderie, as well as raising funds and awareness for the Wyoming Women’s Foundation. About 40 women hunters are expected to participate in this year’s hunt, which will be held Oct. 6-9 at the Ranch at Ucross in northeast Wyoming. To learn more, visit www.wyomingwomensantelopehunt.org.
Katie loves to be outdoors “adventuring” anytime she can. Hunting is a passion that runs deep in the family. She was introduced to hunting by her father Ron, who was excited to pass the tradition down to her. Katie has not only been successful hunting with her rifle but is a successful bow hunter as well. She is a member of the National Honor Society. When she’s not at school or hunting, she is a competitive figure skater with a local club in Cody. She qualified and competed at the National Competition “State Games of America” in Lincoln, Nebraska in 2015 and is now a two-time qualifier as she has qualified again for the 2017 “State Games of America” in Grand Rapids Michigan in 2017.
Katie is very excited to be a part of this year’s hunt. “It will be such a unique experience, a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet so many successful women with a passion for the outdoors and hunting.”
She thanked Groathouse Construction for their sponsorship. “The support and time that Groathouse Construction puts into youth activities and organizations is amazing, not to mention their continued support for hunting and conservation in general. They continue to create opportunities for kids to get outdoors and enjoy what’s around them. It will be such an honor to hunt and represent them this year.”
“We are pleased to sponsor Katie, continue to support this fundraiser that helps women and girls across Wyoming, and help pass down our treasured hunting heritage to the next generation,” said Cayde O’Brien, Preconstruction Manager at Groathouse Construction, which is the largest Wyoming owned construction firm in the region.
Groathouse Construction has been a supporter of the hunt since the Wyoming Women’s Foundation created the event – the first of its kind in the nation – in 2013. Thanks to its supporters like Groathouse Construction so far the annual event has raised more than $200,000 for grants and special projects to help women and girls across Wyoming.
“The Wyoming Women’s Foundation appreciates Groathouse Construction’s continued support for the hunt and its willingness to sponsor a youth hunter this year,” said Rebekah Smith, Program Associate with the Wyoming Women’s Foundation. “Katie’s mother Heather hunted with us in 2014, and we are so excited to have Katie join us this year. Our hunt provides a unique opportunity for experienced women hunters to mentor new ones and, ultimately, encourage more women to reap the benefits of hunting.”
This year the hunt will welcome Donna Boddington from the television show “The Boddington Experience” as a special guest hunter. Special guest hunters have included retired Wyoming Supreme Court Justice Marilyn Kite, Wyoming State Superintendent Jillian Balow, Jana Waller from “Skull Bound TV” on the Sportsman Channel, Women’s Outdoor News (WON) Editor Barbara Baird, 2013 Ms. Wheelchair USA Ashlee Lundvall, and Julie Golob, captain of Smith & Wesson’s highly successful shooting team. Of the 40 total hunters in 2015, 36 harvested antelope, 11 for the first time.
About the Wyoming Women’s Foundation
The Wyoming Women’s Foundation is a priority fund of the Wyoming Community Foundation, which granted out over $6.1 million to nonprofits across the state in 2015. The Women’s Foundation builds on a permanent endowment that will ensure funding to enhance the lives of women and girls in Wyoming for generations to come. It makes grants to organizations that help Wyoming women and girls attain economic self-sufficiency, creates statewide awareness of the barriers to economic self-sufficiency, and supports systems change to eliminate those barriers. Since its inception in 1999, the foundation has invested $775,000 into almost 100 organizations. Learn more at www.wywf.org