Quick shooting raises money for organizations

As the dust settled on the 2012 Wisconsin Cowboy Fast Draw State Championship in Superior, a local shooter stepped up to claim the top spot while another handed his title to a gunslinger from South Dakota.

“The Black River Bandits held a fantastic shoot,” said Dean Storms, also known as the “Beaver Creek Kid,” who earned the men’s state title. The shoot was well organized and fun, he said, tipping his hat to the South Range fast draw group who put it on.

Bandit Pete Mattson, who goes by the alias “Deerslayer,” won the Wisconsin men’s championship last year. He wasn’t able to hold onto the state title for two years in a row, but his sister earned the first place trophy in the women’s competition. For Lori Adrihan, aka “Dusty Bottoms,” it was a return to greatness. She also earned the state’s top spot in 2010.

“I kept it in Wisconsin and in the Black River Bandits club and our family; pretty cool.” she said.

Out of a field of 61 competitors, Adrihan and Storms also took the fastest shot awards. He drew and shot his gun in 0.343 tenths of a second; she did it in 0.467 tenths of a second.

Last weekend, the local cowboy fast draw group earned another title. Deb Stabin, known to her bandit friends as “Lightnin” won the women’s title at the Minnesota State Championship. It’s her first win.

“What a thrill for our club,” Adrihan said. “We are all very proud.”

But fast shooting isn’t all this club is about: For the third year in a row, the bandits put on a celebrity shoot to raise money for the Challenge Center in Superior during the state shoot. This year, they raised $350 for the center, which provides group homes, creative work environments and other programs for adults and children with special needs.

“We love having the Black River Bandits involved with the Challenge Center,” said Residential Director Kelly Johnson. She said the money that has been raised from the state meet has been used for improvements in group homes such as emergency lighting and better visit-ability for family members.

Challenge Center representatives Roy Breezee (Big Roy) and David Rogers (Dangerous Dave), as well as Johnson herself (Sweet Mamma Kelly), take part in the annual celebrity shoot.

“They have a good rivalry going with David having one win and Roy one win,” Johnson said. “This year, Big Roy took the title.”

The bandits forged another partnership this year with local Boy Scout Troop 202, based out of United Presbyterian Church. Scouts helped set up and tear down for the state shoot and served lunch over the weekend to earn money for an upcoming trip to the 2013 National Jamboree.

“Since we only have three scouts actively pursuing a trip to Jamboree, we are showing that scouts help others and sometimes use the pay forward approach in doing things,” said Don Hauser, troop leader, as well as a life lesson on helping others. But they got an added bonus — the bandits offered to help them earn their rifle merit badge the following weekend.

“That was a total surprise,” Hauser said. The scouts, whose motto is “Do a good turn daily,” were just looking to help out. “When the bandits asked what they could do for the scouts I really didn’t know what to say. It was very humbling to be asked that being a service organization.”

Like the folks at the Challenge Center, Hauser said the scouts are thankful for the opportunity to work with the bandits.

“Everyone that I have met has been wonderful and they are a very nice group of people,” Hauser said.

That’s typical of Cowboy Fast Draw enthusiasts, according to Storms, who has been competing with his wife Nancy, under the alias “Mother Nature,” since 2007.

“Cowboy Fast Draw has been very good to us as we have met many interesting people in our travels, most becoming lifelong friends,” Storms said. “We always say that the shooting is just a bonus as being with our CFDA ‘family’ is the greatest and most important part.”

For more information on the Black River Bandits, look up the website at www.blackriverbandits.org or email www.a1outdoors@centurytel.net.

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