ANNOUNCEMENT, PLEASE SHARE
Fellow Trap Shooters,
It is with regret that the Camas Prairie Trapshooting Association (CPTA) and the Walla Walla Gun Club(WWGC), must notify you that we have to postpone the Camas Prairie Handicap scheduled for March 20-22, 2020.
This difficult decision was made following the Executive Order from Governor Jay Inslee on Friday March 13th, 2020. His proclamation on Friday extended his earlier order of restricting large gatherings to less than 250 people in 3 counties to include all counties of Washington. In the order, gatherings included: “social, spiritual, and recreational activities including, but not limited to, community, civic, public, leisure, faith based, or sporting events, parades, concerts, festivals, conventions, fundraisers, and similar activities”. The Camas Prairie Handicap as a sporting event, has greater than 250 participants; this number does not include gun club employees, family, friends, office staff, and vendors, therefore the number of persons at the gathering will easily exceed the 250 person limit. As defined this restriction applies to the 2020 Camas Prairie Handicap.
Although we disagree with this restriction we do not feel it is in the best interest of the sport of trapshooting, WWGC, or the CPTA to contest the Governor and the State of Washington. We have received input from people who have expressed the desire to hold the shoot despite this order. Trap shooters do not want to be in defiance of a legal Executive Order even though we are all eager to participate in this event. We respect the difficulty the State of Washington is experiencing creating guidance to prevent further outbreaks of Covid-19; however we have to be in compliance with the Executive Order or the WWGC and the CPTA could be subject to criminal penalties (WA proclamation 20-07).
In making the decision we have considered a number of options to try to hold this shoot on the scheduled dates, including attempting to obtain a waiver from the State of Washington, adapting to hold a telephonic shoot with 2-3 locations or an alternate location. Because time is so limited since the Executive Order was issued Friday, it is unrealistic to overcome the logistics to hold a shoot in any alternate format by March 20th.
We know this is a great disappointment to participants in the Camas Prairie 2020 Ten Week event which culminates in the Camas Prairie Handicap. It certainly is a disappointment for the host club Walla Walla Gun Club and the Board of Directors for the Camas Prairie Trapshooting Association. WWGC and the CPTA will be working together to identify an alternative date and or format for the shoot. In the meantime cancellation of this shoot creates hardship for the WWGC and we encourage all Camas members and guests of this shoot be supportive of the host club. It takes all of us to support a shooting facility with the capacity and capability to hold a shoot of the size and significance of the Camas Prairie Handicap.
In order to plan next steps we will have a special Camas Prairie meeting Saturday March 21st at 12pm at Walla Walla Gun Club to discuss the rescheduling of the Camas, raffles and or other financial situations. WWGC has offered to provide lunch for the meeting and will be given an opportunity to display the many facility improvements. We will make arrangements for conference calling if possible.
All of us in the Camas Prairie service area should thank God and our lucky stars that we have so avoided major impact from the Coronavirus, and we pray for the people in many areas that are suffering.
Brian Ferry, CPTA President
Bob Bloch, WWGC Secretary Treasurer
