Every year in December, RMEF makes the trip to Las Vegas to work for the mission at the Hunter and Outdoor Christmas Expo. In 2019, 15 volunteers made the journey. They worked 10, eight-hour days from December 5, to December 14, engaging with as many attendees as possible in the hopes of selling an RMEF membership and a raffle ticket package.
To some, that many days and hours standing on a concrete floor may sound like cruel and unusual punishment, but not to the volunteers that have been a part of this event since the beginning. Their dedication is incredible to watch. The days are long and they are on their feet most of the time, but the relationships they are able to build are amazing. The comradery and sense of pride that these volunteers have in running this event is truly inspiring.
During their 8-hour shifts, the volunteers worked hard to try to raise more money for RMEF than they did the year before. They helped staff set up and tear down the booth. They built raffle ticket packages, built membership incentive packages and sold memberships. They sold raffle ticket packages to the Cowboy Country Raffle, as well as the daily Weatherby raffle. They engaged with the attendees in a ring toss game and helped with the shop RMEF booth and the Cowboys for Conservation Calcutta.
Our volunteers did all of this with a smile on their face and the willingness to do whatever it takes to raise money for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.
Total sales for the event and Calcutta were in excess of $150,000 over the 10-day show. The team sold 704 memberships, 621 raffle ticket packages, sponsor memberships, life memberships and life membership upgrades and 150 Calcutta teams. They also played more ring toss games than anyone could count.
The success of the Hunter and Outdoor Christmas Expo is 100 percent dependent on the volunteers and their efforts. We can never say thank you enough to them or to our over 12,000 volunteers across the country that keep this organization moving forward. Thank you!