Sumter Elks begin 38th turkey shoot

Sumter Elks Lodge No. 855 will begin its annual turkey shoot, the 38th, at 2 p.m. Sunday at the lodge, 1100 W. Liberty St. The shoot is a charity event benefiting veterans in Sumter, Lee and Clarendon counties, as well as the William Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center in Columbia. The public is invited to participate; however, children must be supervised by adults.

Equipment permitted is shotguns with a maximum 30-inch barrel with a 2-inch choke. Scopes and red dot sights are allowed.

Competitors pay $2.50 for each round, and shells are provided. Winners of each round will receive $10, and a $20 gift certificate from Simpson Hardware and Sports will be awarded to the competitor with the highest score of the day.

Lodge spokesman Johnny Raffield noted the Elks pledge, "'So long as there are veterans, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks will never forget them.' Sumter Elks Lodge No. 855 takes that pledge one step further and promises service to our local area veterans and military members, with a special focus on service to those in need."

The Elks turkey shoots begin at 2 p.m. this Sunday and continue each Sunday in December from 2 to 5:30 p.m. through Dec. 29. Call the Elks Lodge at (803) 773-6324 for more information.