In the foreground, Lee Brown, 13, shoots at the Kiwanis Club Turkey Shoot. To the left is his father, Curtis Brown. The two were hoping to win a turkey on the round, but it ended up just being target practice.
By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON For the Capital
In military parlance, a turkey shoot is an opportunity for an individual or unit to easily take advantage of the enemy. The Marianas Turkey Shoot naval battle in the South Pacific during World War II is one such example.
But at the Kiwanis Club of Shady Side, the turkey shoot isn't so easy that you get the turkey every time. In fact, of the twenty or so shooters on the line during each round, only one will win the turkey (or ham, or bacon, or shrimp).
At this turkey shoot, contestants arrive at the Kiwanis headquarters on Snug Harbor Road and pay a predetermined price for the round they want to participate in. There are rounds for 11 pounds of bacon, five pounds of shrimp, turkeys, ham and big boxes of Italian sausage.
Entrants bring their own 12-guage shotgun, but the Kiwanis club provides the ammunition. Once they pay, they're assigned a numbered post, or pole, with a six-inch target, about 30 yards away. They stand in a line, behind a skinny yellow rope, and aim for the target. The shotgun shell sprays in a wild pattern, and the goal is to get one of those little shots to hit dead center on the target.
Although the shooters aim for the target, they don't have much control over the spray pattern, so it is a little bit of marksmanship, mixed in with a lot of luck.
The Kiwanis Club runs these turkey shoots twice a year - once just before Easter and again just before Thanksgiving. For a $3 or $4 entry fee, you could win $50 or $60 worth of meat.
Sharon Suddith is a Kiwanis board member, she said the club times the events, "so that people can win their meat for their holiday meals."
She noted that all of the meat is packaged for them by the Shady Side Market, so the event stays local.
The Kiwanis hope to raise about $1,000 for each Sunday afternoon they're open - which will include the next two Sundays: March 29 and April 5.
The money they raise help to fund activities right here in the area.
For example, they offer the local elementary schools - Shady Side, Deale, and Traceys - each $500 grants each year that the schools can use in whatever way they want.
"At Shady Side, they used the money toward the purchase of a document camera," said Eddy Boarman, past president of the club, and one of the judges at last week's event.
They also assist senior citizens in the community by helping them do repairs around the house. They also give a scholarship to a Southern High School senior and help to sponsor community events like the annual Shady Side July 4th parade.
Curtis Brown, a resident of Shady Side, brought his son Lee, 13, to the shoot on Sunday. They were trying for the frozen turkey during round 16. Brown has brought all four of his children, both daughters and sons, to the shoots over the years. He's brought Lee since he was "8 or 9 years-old."
They had to wait while their targets were taken off the posts and given to the judges. From there, it didn't take long for them to learn that they were not going to be taking home the bird.
"It's nice, and its fun," he said, still smiling even though he didn't win. "We hunt, so its good to come out and get some target practice."
During another round, James Marx of Rose Haven was the winner of a big box of Italian sausage. He's a member of Local 26 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. He'd come with a group of his fellow union members, who were playfully taunting him over his win - apparently not his first for the day.
"We come here every year and we're proud to help them out," Marx said as he posed with his prize.
The Kiwanis Club of Shady Side Turkey Shoots will run each Sunday from noon to 5 at the club, located at 1425 Snug Harbor Road. For more information, call 410-867-2599.
Mitchelle Stephenson is a freelance writer living in Edgewater.
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