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| Hunting Retriever Club to Help Get Kids Outdoors WICHITA, KS --- Pass It On -- Outdoor Mentors, Inc. and the Hunting Retriever Club have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, outlining their joint efforts to give children the opportunity to get outdoors. Under the terms of the memorandum, the HRC will encourage its chapters and members to become engaged with the Pass It On -- Outdoor Mentors program, mentoring children in the outdoors. Pass It On -- Outdoor Mentors will coordinate efforts on the part of the HRC chapters to contact local youth mentoring organizations to invite existing matches as well as children on the waiting list for a mentor to attend HRC events. “The Pass It On -- Outdoor Mentors program is honored to count the Hunting Retriever Club as a partner in our efforts to mentor children in the outdoors,” commented Mike Christensen, President of Pass It On -- Outdoor Mentors, Inc. “Partnering HRC Clubs with local youth mentoring organizations, we will be able to introduce children to hunting and working dogs in safe manner.” Formed in 1984, HRC is an international organization with over 8,500 members and 133 clubs in 36 states and Canada. HRC is a family-oriented organization, offering outdoor fun and fellowship to all participants in a wholesome atmosphere. "This is a great opportunity for HRC to partner with Pass It On introducing children to retriever sports,” commented Past HRC President, Mark Lanier. “HRC's program exemplifies sportsmanship, teamwork, and stewardship of our outdoor resources, attributes which are essential to individual success." “Through this partnership, we will see HRC clubs invite matches to join the club in their hunting tests as well as other club activities,” indicate Christensen. “We have found that many of the mentors are interested in participating in new outdoor activities and this would provide an opportunity for the mentor as well as the child to learn about retrievers and how personally satisfying working with them can be.” HRC Secretary Carol Ford added, "HRC has members and volunteers who have skills and knowledge in conservation, fishing, hunting and other outdoor activities and wish to participate in the Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors Program as outdoor mentors. We will promote the Pass It On -- Outdoor Mentors Program to our clubs and encourage our members to get involved as volunteers to introduce more children to the outdoors. We will make available to PIO information about local HRC events that Bigs and Littles can attend and encourage local clubs to host hunting and outdoor education opportunities for PIO matches and Littles." “We also want to encourage the HRC members to consider becoming mentors as well,” stated Christensen. “Across the country, there are many children waiting for someone to step up and become a mentor. If we in the outdoor community don’t step up, most of these children will grow up with little or no connection to the outdoors and our outdoor heritage. Becoming a mentor gives us the chance to pass on our love and passion for the outdoors to the next generation.” Pass It On -- Outdoor Mentors, Inc. has evolved from a Kansas Big Brothers Big Sisters program targeted at recruiting mentors who will spend time with a child outdoors. Initially begun as a partnership between Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and Kansas BBBS, the program is now expanding to work with youth mentoring organizations across the nation, thanks to the support it has received from the National Shooting Sports Foundation. To find out more about the Hunting Retriever Club, visit their website at http://www.huntingretrieverclub.org/. If you are interested in finding out more about Pass It On -- Outdoor Mentors, Inc. or becoming an outdoor mentor, contact Pass It On -- Outdoor Mentors, Inc. at (316) 290-8883 or via their Web site at http://www.outdoormentors.org.
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