The Active Force Foundation is rapidly expanding its reach and impact in Colorado, a year-and-a-half after vice president Lonie Paxton’s signing with the Denver Broncos. After the success of April’s NFL Draft Party and Bowling Bash, AFF took another huge step forward on Sept. 28, 2010 with the inaugural Lonie Paxton Celebrity Sporting Clays Challenge at Kiowa Creek Sporting Club near Bennett, Colo.
Different from the usual golf events, it was Paxton’s vision to bring to Colorado a unique and different form of fundraiser that gave people the chance to come out and compete with one another on Kiowa Creek’s professionally-designed clays course. The day included a pre-event barbecue lunch, courtesy of Leevers Supermarkets, the 12-station clays competition, post-event awards ceremony, dinner courtesy of Angie’s Restaurant, and both silent and live auctions.Clear blue Colorado skies and a record temperature of 92 degrees greeted the nearly 120 participants in this inaugural event. For AFF’s first sporting clays event, those who signed up and came out to compete in the event came away incredibly impressed. The show put on by AFF and the effort by Paxton to welcome everyone and ensure they enjoyed their day made a tremendous impact.
Active Force Foundation president/founder Brook Duquesnel, mechanic/engineer Brandon Duquesnel and operations assistant Boyd Livesey were on hand to display AFF’s unique four-wheel mountain bikes, and “fly the flag” of the foundation to give participants a better idea of how their support of this event impacts the lives of disabled athletes through the foundation’s programs.
Paxton’s Denver Broncos teammates showed their support of AFF by coming out and shooting alongside the competitors, while waging their own battle for top score among the players. Quarterbacks Kyle Orton and Brady Quinn; offensive linemen Russ Hochstein, Zane Beadles and J.D. Walton; defensive tackle Justin Bannan and punter Britton Colquitt were joined by Denver Broncos VP of Security Dave Abrams on the course and showed there is a wide range of ability on that Broncos roster.
There’s no question Lonie Paxton is appreciated and respected in that Broncos locker room. He not only gets his teammates out to his events, but he designs fundraisers with competitions that appeal to his teammates. It’s worth noting that when Orton attended AFF’s Bowling Bash he brought his own ball, and Quinn arrived Tuesday at the sporting clays competition with his own shotgun. These guys are serious about making their support count!Our most special guests were the U.S. Army wounded warriors from the Warrior Transition Battalion at Fort Carson, Colo. It was our honor to have a group of soldiers attend the event and enjoy the company of so many who appreciate their valiant service to our country.
“When service men and women return from war or duty, AFF strives to create an experience that temporarily releases them from the constant mental and physical stresses they’re eduring,” Paxton said. “For AFF to have an impact on soldiers’ lives when they come back is the entire reason we do what we do. Our camps really show what the fundraising and our team can accomplish, but the events themselves are a way to involve teammates, the community, sponsors, servicemen and women, and the Active Force team in a fun environment that reiterates the purpose, but also have a fun time doing it.”
AFF’s programs are designed to give those wounded soldiers a physical outlet to enhance both their physical and mental recovery, and events like today’s allow us to expand that reach and show our appreciation by giving them a day out to enjoy a good time and some quality competition (please see below for comments by soldiers about how they enjoyed their time at the event).
The players’ and soldiers’ attendance added to what was already a festive atmosphere. Following the competition everybody gathered back at the main tent to listen to the Fabulous Parker Brothers Band, bid on the outstanding silent auction items and enjoy a delicious dinner provided by Angie’s Restaurant while they awaited the final scores to be tallied.
The team from Ultra Petroleum took home the top prize with a collective score of 339, followed by Bank of Colorado (266) and Sturgeon Electric (254). The Broncos competition was hotly contested, with Abrams scoring a 56, and among players Quinn led the way with a score of 51, narrowly edging Colquitt (48).
The event closed with an outstanding live auction, which included a cow elk hunt, dinner with Paxton & Bannan at The Union restaurant, a suite at the Pepsi Center for a Denver Nuggets game and a “Broncos Experience” including tickets, and pre- and postgame passes.
ProLink Sports would like to thank all those who came together to make this event happen, including Kiowa Creek Sporting Club and their phenomenal staff for providing a first-class venue for this inaugural event. We would also like to thank Keith Dailey & Jim Mundle of Douglas County Living magazine; James Kelly and Red Bull; our MC Sam Adams; Leevers Supermarkets, Angie’s Restaurant and event sponsors Steve Evans and the Elk Ranch, Fred Aesquival, Bank of Colorado, The E Company, Billy Halax, Innovative Interiors, Intermountain Rural Electric Association, Phil Long Ford, Retirement Strategies, Speed Raceway, StarTek, Sturgeon Electric, Ultra Petroleum and Water Extraction Team.
It was an honor to have the soldiers from the WTU at Fort Carson as Active Force Foundation's guests at the event, and an additional honor to receive such kind comments afterwards:
"Today I was like anyone else. I was part of society. I wasn't an Army misfit. I had the freedom to do things here today just like everyone else. My mind was totally off what's going on in my life. I wasn't thinking about the pain. I wasn't thinking about the next doctor's appointment. I was back to being a person. Not a WT.”
"I know it's going to hurt. But some things are just worth it. Today was one of those days. I probably won't be able to walk tomorrow, but for today, I enjoyed it and it was worth it."
Links to media coverage of the event:
Denver Post (Wed., Sept. 29, 2010) "Broncos' Paxton takes best shot at helping disabled"
DenverBroncos.com (Fri., Oct. 1, 2010) "Paxton's Sporting Clays Challenge for a Cause"
CBS4 Denver, Countdown to Kickoff (Sun., Oct. 3, 2010) "Get to Know: Broncos' Paxton and Active Force Foundation"
--Paul Kirk/ProLink Sports
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