NEWSRACK
Fall/Winter 2003    Volume 3

GREETINGS FROM DEAN ZIEGLER, NWDEF FOUNDER

A recent chain of related events have all combined to really lift my spirits. Some very good things have been happening for the Whitetail Foundation.

Think of where we were a year ago compared to now. The concept of attracting thousands of people to our 117-acre tract of land for the Deerassic Classic was met with skepticism by many voices. However, we sold all the tickets and probably could have sold thousands more.

The Classic was an incredible success by all measurement. It was the first step of a real dream coming true for me. The next steps were the people who walked into this project, seemingly all brought together not by the shared dream, or me, but by fate. Our board members led us through an historic period of Foundation history. Our newly-hired professional staff, public relations director Mike Brown and program director Toni Kellar, bring us a combination of talent, passion, and experience in education, program development, and outreach.

Yes, the dream is coming true. We are united in our belief that we can and must rekindle stronger awareness and interest in the whitetail and all of natureıs wonder, starting first with our youth.

We share a sense of alarm that only four percent of American teen-agers regularly hike, hunt, and fish. We work each day to reverse a declining trend that creates such enormously negative consequences for our families, communities, our entire culture, and the state economy.

In conclusion, this is a festive time of the year when all of us give thanks for so many blessings.  Thank you to everyone who has contributed in numerous ways and means to the Whitetail Foundation as we quickly emerge from a dream to a bright and innovative reality.

Sincerely,
Dean Ziegler, Director of Operations and NWDEF Founder

UPCOMING EVENTS

2nd Annual Deerassic Classic!
Saturday, Aug. 7, 2004

Mark your calendar now for an event you wonıt want to miss! Ticket sales will again be limited to 10,000, and 2003 ticket holders will get the first option to purchase 2004 tickets! If you were a ticket holder in 2003, watch your mail for an announcement of our special advance sale in February. Tickets will go on sale to the general public (those who did not have tickets in 2003) in early March. Tickets were sold out last year, so be sure to get yours early! We are adding special activities to this yearıs Classic, including overnight camping and special drawings and entertainment Friday night! And of course we will continue to offer delicious free food and improved parking. Please periodically check www.deerassic.com for updates. The Deerassic Classic event is open only to adults 18 years of age and older.

The Second Annual Deerassic Classic will be a decisive step closer toward the creation of the Ohio Whitetail Hall Of Fame Museum. We appreciate your support!

Annual Membership Picnic: Spring 2004
Details of our Annual Membership Picnic on the NWDEF grounds, scheduled for the spring this year, will be sent to members in the mail. Stay tuned!

PROGRESS!

The First Deerassic Classic August 23, 2003, was a spectacular success! All 10,000 tickets were sold out. Over 11,000 people from several dozen states attended the live drawing event on the beautiful NWDEF grounds. It was a day of perfect weather, good spirit, and excitement. The Classic was the largest gathering of people ever in Guernsey County. The Second Annual Deerassic Classic will be Saturday, August 7, 2004!

New educational programming is underway. One of the primary goals of the Foundationıs outreach programming is rekindling interest in outdoor knowledge and participation. A successful Outdoor Education Summit was held on NWDEF grounds Nov. 6 (see photo) with more than 70 5th graders attending. Students were offered six educational learning stations. Featured speaker was Joy Padgett, Executive Director of the Governorıs Office of Appalachia. Padgett praised Foundation founder Dean Ziegler for his "dreams that are now coming true." She cited the economic and social values of increasing outdoor recreation that is "good for the state, the region, and for our citizens."

An in-school program for 4th grade will be available to schools starting this winter. This interactive program with hand-on opportunities will highlight how the whitetail deer shaped Ohioıs history. A 5th grade program at Deerassic Park will be offered during spring and fall. Experiential activities focusing on the environment will include an interpretive hike and of course a visit to the live deer herd.

Media coverage of NWDEF activities has included PBSıs ³The State of Ohio² and a front-page series in the Cambridge Daily Jeffersonian. ³Top Ten Myths and Facts about Whitetail Deer² was sent to media outlets in Ohio to coincide with the hunting season.

A new video series promoting the outdoor experience and the NWDEF will be available in January.

Short-term construction plans include excavation for parking lots, a lake, and a grand, all-season pavilion for educational programs at Deerassic Park.

BUSINESS UPDATE

Many people believe that the Foundationıs first Deerassic Classic actually earned $1 million. We wish that were true. That is merely the gross from the ticket sales. Nearly half of the ticket sale money was then used to purchase the prizes (worth nearly $500,000 in total). The costs of producing the Classic, including free food and drink (nearly $100,000 alone), support staff, security, advertising, printing, postage, and port-a-johns took another chunk. What was left has given us an annual operating budget, including staff to create educational programming, and the ability to make substantial payments toward the land mortgage and other debts, putting the NWDEF on solid ground to continue its exciting growth.

BOARD NEWS

Special thanks go to Board President Tim Higgins, Vice President Kenny McClellan, Past Treasurer Kelly Lenhart, and new Secretary/Treasurer Tammie Brown for their invaluable services as NWDEF officers. Our board is completed by members Bill Dellassandro, Joe Detweiler, Bill Knellinger, and Steve Kame. The time and support given by these fine leaders help the NWDEF achieve its goals. A special thank you to Shane Skinner for his support and guidance of the first Deerassic Classic.

SHARE THE DREAM!

Our successful Deerassic Classic has given us the seed money to hire staff and start educational programming, but we still need your help. How can you play a part and support our growing endeavors? A financial donation to the non-profit, independent NWDEF with an earmarked gift targeting our scholarship fund for youth education will help many smaller Ohio elementary schools afford our modest program costs. No fourth or fifth grade student should miss the opportunity to enjoy one of our educational programs highlighting the whitetail deer and the outdoors. You can help! For more information, ontact us at 740-435-3335, www.deerassic.com, or simply drop a note in the mail targeting your donation to our scholarship fund.

Please spread the word to your friends and business associates about your passion for the National Whitetail Deer Education Foundation. The pathway to outstanding outdoor education, and the ultimate construction of the Ohio Whitetail Hall of Fame Museum, will happen because of you. Thank you for your continued support!

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