Shooters from all over the country, civilian and military, joined together on September 20th of this year to raise money together to support the Special Forces Charitable Trust (SFTC) and several other military non-profit organizations benefiting active duty service members and veterans. They certainly hit their mark: The inaugural Remington Great American Shoot (RGAS) announced today that the event raised almost $1.2 million.
The winner, Matt Bissonnette, former Navy SEAL, raised the most money ($150,130) of all shooters in attendance and was awarded a customized 2014 Jeep Rubicon at the conclusion of the event. Bissonnette, a member of "Team Top Secret," pictured above, was among several team captains. Team captains included Dan Beery, Olympic Gold Medalist, Matt Bissonnette, a renowned American, author, Navy SEAL and philanthropist, Jim Porter, the new President of the National Rifle Association and Laura Berry, an 83-year-old hotshot shooter, construction magnate and renowned philanthropist who won 2nd place. Alongside them were international financiers, Marines, a "Beauty and the Beasts" team, doctors, bankers and others from all over the country. Each team also featured a "6th Man Shooter" as a volunteer active-duty service member or veteran selected to represent their service branch. Over 6 Silver Stars and 23 Bronze Stars were represented.
"I am so proud to announce we raised almost $1.2 million for the Special Forces Charitable Trust and other organizations," said Mike Reynolds, founder of the Remington Great American Shoot. "It was an amazing gathering of American men and women, ages 14 to 83. Grouping the civilians with ‘the warriors' allowed us to show our profound appreciation and give something back to the United States Special Operations community and organizations like Special Forces Charitable Trust. It was truly great Americans doing a great thing. Remington's generosity in providing incredible prizes and all ammunition has allowed us to give back to deserving service members, veterans and their families."
The funds raised were distributed among the SFTC and other military charities. As the support host, the SFTC received the first $500,000 raised by the shooters, and the top five fund-raising teams divided remaining funds to military charities they were passionate about.
The Special Forces Charitable Trust provides sustainable and meaningful support to the Special Forces Community and their Families. For additional information, visit www.specialforcescharitbabletrust.org.