The Rich Square Volunteer Fire Department in North Carolina is hosting a bloody “Turkey Hunting Tournament” on April 9 as a fundraiser and awarding cash prizes and trophies, including $500 to whoever kills the heaviest wild turkey—including children.
The Fire Department has been holding this killing contest since 2007. FoA reached out to organizers to urge them to cancel this violent event and replace it with a fundraiser that harms no one. The organizers said they won’t cancel the event this year but implied they are open to replacing the killing contest next year with a different fundraiser. We need your help for this to happen.
Last year’s turkey killing contest raised $5,250. There are many other non-violent ways the Fire Department can raise these funds.
Since North Carolina has no age restrictions on hunting, children of any age can take part in this turkey slaughter, as long as they are accompanied by a licensed hunter, who is only required to be 16 years old. This disgraceful inclusion of children with no age minimum follows the trend of these killing contests in which they are used to indoctrinate youngsters into the gun and hunting culture by rewarding killing with prizes, cash and guns.
The Rich Square Fire Department needs to hear from you so it will discontinue this violent turkey killing fundraiser. Please call the Rich Square Fire Department organizers at 252.539.2933 and urge them to cancel this event permanently. A Fire Department has no business raising funds to help save lives through killing wildlife or any animals.
Also contact Northampton County Manager Kimberly Turner at 252.534.2501 and email her at Kimberly.Turner@nhcnc.net and ask her to urge the fire department to cancel the fundraiser. Tell Kimberly Turner you won’t visit Northampton County as long as the Rich Square Fire Department holds the turkey killing contest.
You can also post your opposition to the turkey killing contest on the Rich Square Fire Department Facebook page
North Carolina residents can also contact their state legislators and urge them to introduce legislation to ban wildlife killing contests like this one. Find your legislators here.