Croushore Honored with National Award for Youth Outreach Efforts
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Ralph Croushore was honored by the NWTF with the JAKES Volunteer of the Year Award during the organization’s 49th annual Convention and Sport Show, sponsored by Mossy Oak. The 76-year-old Croushore, or “Pappy,” as many know him, continues to lead two youth field days in Peter Creek Trail’s local area. At the Peter’s Creek Trail Chapter’s banquet each year, he pays for JAKES memberships to any youth who are present. He has recruited well over 1,000 youth members over the years.
“I am excited and pleased to be accepting this award in Nashville,” Croushore said. “I have been with NWTF for 25 years, and I am now a chapter president. I do everything I can for the kids. I do a mentor hunt, we have the Pappy gun raffle, we do a turkey hunter’s care program and we raise money and buy turkeys and hams for the local food banks. We help the local Boy Scouts, we send a kid to wildlife leadership camp, and we do a $600 donation there each year. In 1970 there were hardly any turkeys in Pennsylvania, and now we’ve got turkeys everywhere thanks to the NWTF.”
Croushore always promotes the JAKES program at events and is able to talk to kids about the benefits of hunting. He has also created a “Pappy youth raffle” at his chapter’s annual NWTF banquet, which allows a youth hunter to win a gun each year. This inspires the next generation to keep hunting and to stay involved with organizations like the NWTF. He also awards two scholarships to high school seniors who have an interest in hunting and a passion for conservation.
His outreach keeps the younger community involved and interested in the hunting lifestyle. He has taken the lead in organizing local youth hunting events and educational workshops, making it a priority to introduce the next generation to the traditions and values of hunting.
“Keeping the next generation engaged with our mission is critical, not just to the future of the NWTF but to our nation’s natural resources and our hunting heritage,” NWTF co-CEO Kurt Dyroff said. “We are proud to honor Ralph for his many years of service and keeping the next generation engaged with the life-changing power of the outdoors.”
About the National Wild Turkey Federation
Since 1973, the National Wild Turkey Federation has invested over half a billion dollars into wildlife conservation and has positively impacted over 24 million acres of critical wildlife habitat. The NWTF has also invested over $10 million into wild turkey research to guide the management of the wild turkey population and to ensure sustainable populations into perpetuity. The organization continues to deliver its mission by working across boundaries on a landscape scale through its Four Shared Values: clean and abundant water, healthy forests and wildlife habitat, resilient communities, and robust recreational opportunities. With the help of its dedicated members, partners and staff, the NWTF continues its work to provide Healthy Habitats. and Healthy Harvests. for future generations.