Fundraiser benefits Louisiana Trooper Foundation and Louisiana State Troopers Association
It’s not often that you get to fire a Thompson submachine gun, but you’ll get that chance — plus the opportunity to check out other Louisiana State Police equipment like a helicopter and tactical delivery vehicle — at the Shoot for the Blue Sporting Clays Tournament in Benton on Saturday, Oct. 10.
The fundraiser, which will be held at the Los Paloma Sporting Range, will benefit both the Louisiana Trooper Foundation, and the Louisiana State Troopers Association, two non-profits that benefit troopers and the charities they support.
Four-man teams are $600, and include a gift bag and commemorative shirt. Registration for pre-registered teams will begin at 7 a.m. that Saturday. For more information on the tournament and to register online, click here.
“Essentially, the Trooper Foundation was established for the purpose of meeting needs of troopers and the State Police outside of regular funding measures. Funds that are donated to the foundation have been used in the past to further specialized education, in criminalistics, in patrol and anything to do with police education,” said Capt. Tom Madden, commander of Troop G in Bossier City. “The Troopers Association is primarily a fraternal organization comprised of active-duty and retired troopers. So you have to be a trooper at one point in your life to be a member of the association.”
Projects funded by the organizations include scholarships, youth camps, veterans programs, purchasing Christmas toys for hospitalized children, or assisting troopers who lose their homes during hurricanes and more, Madden said.
In addition to the 15-station sporting clays competition, there will be K-9 demonstrations, raffles, door prizes and a live auction, plus the opportunity to check out State Police tactical assets, he said.
“Those assets belong to the citizens of the state,” he said. “We just have the privilege of deploying them in the interest of public safety.”
Troopers will be volunteering throughout the event, getting the chance to interact with the public in a completely different role than when they’re on the job, he said.
“Even though State Police is a full-service police agency, when most people think of the State Police they think of the guy on the side of the road with a Smokey the Bear hat,” Madden said. “What we do for this event is, instead of that trooper behind you with blue lights on, we have them at every sporting clay station to assist our patrons, pulling clays, answering any questions they might have and entertaining them for the day.
“We want them to understand the troopers’ mission.”
Attendees can also make an extra donation to shoot a Thompson submachine gun under the watchful eye of a State Police firearms instructor at the event.
“Those are pretty awesome,” Madden said. “They’re State Police Thompsons out of our armory.”
The deadline to register to ensure you receive a gift bag and shirt on the day of the event is Friday, Sept. 18.
For more information, or to make a donation for the event, go to shootfortheblue.com.
