Ladies and Gentlemen-
Almost as casually as any of the countless comments spoken during last spring's ASC, the idea of hosting an all women's match sprang to life. Who actually made the suggestion is not clear, but Katie Adkins (John's Daughter) built on the idea by suggesting Mother's Day weekend as the most fitting date for such an event. Without missing a beat she followed one good idea with another when she suggested making it a charity match with the proceeds going to breast cancer research. So, the plan for ASC this spring is to do just that, but not wanting to leave the rest of you out in the cold, there will be a second match on the weekend after Mother's Day.
We fully anticipate lots of questions, especially from new ASC competitors. We would ask that you to thoroughly read the entire email before asking questions. In addition, please forward this email to anyone you think might be interested in participating in the ladies match.
There are two primary goals for holding the women's only match. The first is to provide a venue where the increasing number of women interested in long range shooting can come together as competitors and to meet other members of the community. The second is to raise funds for the search for a cure to breast cancer which affects one-in-eight women in the US. In keeping with the second goal, whether you sign up to shoot either of the matches your tax deductible charitable donation to this cause would be very gratefully accepted.
Under the heading of "For What It's Worth" a little more background about the process behind some of the details that follow and why it has taken nearly three months effort to get to this point seem to be worth a few sentences. Our original intent was to identify and partner with a national breast cancer research charity that had state and local affiliates. The thinking behind this goal was to accommodate community based contributions by all competitors. The charities fulfilling this goal declined to participate in the fundraising effort because of the tie with firearms. So be it. We elected to refocus our effort on university breast cancer centers, specifically the West Virginia University Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center in Morgantown WV. The staff at the WVU Foundation were very enthusiastic and helpful in working through the process, despite the funding source being firearms related. Further, they should be congratulated for not having lost sight of the real purpose for which the center was established.
With that obstacle behind us, one further hitch in our original plan had to be resolved. The plan had been for each competitor to write a single check made to the charity, send it to us and then forwarded to the charity once they were all in hand. Simple, and clean, right? Well, not so fast. Apparently, due to IRS regulations that would be in play no matter what charity was selected, the fair market value of the product or service being used as a fund raising vehicle is not tax deductible. In this case that amounts to $250. The IRS regulations do not prohibit the fund raising organization from donating additional proceeds from the event. The complete details about how this is going to be handled are covered below, but 100% of the funds raised for the women's competition will benefit the breast cancer center at WVU.
At several points in the process of working out the details for this charity match there was a temptation to proceed in a different direction, but in each instance we were carried forward by the belief that relatively modest additional effort would benefit the search for a cure to breast cancer. We hope that you will join us in that belief.
Enough on the background, let's get to the fun part.
First things first, the match dates are:
May 9, 10, and 11, 2014- Women competitors only breast cancer charity match;
May 16, 17 and 18, 2014- Open Match
WOMEN'S MATCH: The minimum contribution for the women's match is $300. As stated above, all proceeds from this charity match will benefit breast cancer research at the West Virginia University Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center in Morgantown, WV. WVU and the Cancer Center are not involved in the planning, management or conduct of this event.
The sign up and payment process will work as follows: Competitors will request a slot on the roster by return email. Prior to the "match fee" deadline noted below you send two checks. The first check, for at least $ 50, should be made out to the WVU Foundation. On the memo line of this check write "ASC Breast Cancer Charity Event". Once received, the foundation will send you a letter acknowledging your tax deductible contribution. The second check should be made out to HSG (not SSG) for $250. Both checks are to be mailed to the address provided below. We will bundle the proceeds from the second checks and forward the entire amount to the WVU Foundation. The foundation will issue a letter acknowledging this donation as well, and it will be made available to all competitors.
The women's only event means exactly that. While fully recognizing there will be many circumstances where competitors will travel to Seneca Rocks with a sponsor, friend, husband or father, in keeping with the spirit of this event, no one other than competitors will be allowed on the mountain during the match. Like every other match in the country, ASC is as much a social event as it is a shooting match and we welcome all the traveling companions to participate in the evening activities. The cost of dinner on Saturday night for non-competitors is $25. As many of you know there is no shortage of activities in and around Seneca with which to occupy your time while the ladies are shooting at one of the most beautiful and challenging venues in the country. Among them are mountain biking, rock climbing, fishing, hiking, caving or just hanging out. We can recommend local attractions to those that are interested.
There are a number of companies serving the long-range shooting community that actively support female shooters. If you are among this group, we hope you will encourage these women to participate in this charity event. Alternatively, this match might provide the impetus to add to your team roster. As always, your generous support of ASC is very much appreciated.
OPEN MATCH: OK, there is going to be a little twist here that is a departure from the way the match fee has been handled in the past. A two tiered fee structure will allow a portion of the competitors to lock in slots for the second match and support the quest for a cure to breast cancer. The base match fee is $250.00. If you would like to lock in a slot for the match you can do so by making a tax deductible contribution of $100.00 to the WVU Foundation. In turn, your match fee will be reduced to $200.00. Obviously, this will require that you write two checks- one to SSGfor $200.00 and the second to WVU Foundation for $100.00. The sign-up process is the same as for the women's match.
General match information follows. Again, if you have questions, ask them.
General Match Info
Match Dates: Women’s Match- May 9, 10 and 11, 2014
Open Match- May 16, 17 and 18, 2014
Please Send All Checks To: Rod Hansen
PO Box 883
Ashburn VA 20146
The deadline to receive match fees is: April 25, 2014
The match fee includes dinner on Saturday night and an ASC ball cap.
Saturday Night Dinner: Brock's tenderloin seems to be as big a draw to ASC as the shooting, so we will continue the tradition by providing dinner on Saturday evening. Bring your beverage of choice.
Driving Destination
Seneca Rocks, West Virginia Use Google, MapQuest or your GPS. If you start looking for it on a map, bear in mind that Seneca Rocks is just an intersection with a handful of buildings and some sheep. The following info will help in locating Seneca Rocks:
From the Northeast: Find Strasburg, Virginia on I-81. Take Rt. 55 West through Wardensville (watch your speed here, the speed limit is 25 mph and they will ticket at 26 mph), Moorefield, and Petersburg to Seneca Rocks. If you are traveling this route be sure to use the new 4-lane section of Rt. 55; it starts 1.2 miles past the 7/11 in Wardensville. Exit the highway in Moorefield at the intersection with Rt. 220. Turn left to rejoin Rt.55. The new highway cuts out the hilliest/curviest portion of the drive on old Route 55 between Wardensville and Moorefield.
From the Southeast: Find Harrisonburg, Virginia on I-81. Take Rt. 33 West through Franklin to Seneca Rocks. Follow the signs for Rt. 33/ Seneca Rocks.
From the West: Find Elkins, West Virginia and take Rt. 33 East to Seneca Rocks.
Groceries
Please note that the closest real grocery store is 22 miles away in Petersburg, so either bring food from home or plan to stop in Elkins, Petersburg, Moorefield (24-hour Wal-Mart w/grocery and a Food Lion), Harrisonburg (many options), or Franklin. The grocery store in Franklin are not up to the standards that you will find in major metropolitan areas so if you need something exotic, plan on another option. There are a couple of local convenience-type stores at Seneca (Beer, milk, eggs, etc.).
Accommodations
All of the following options are within a 30 minute drive of the meeting place. The cabins might be a good option to explore if you are traveling with a few other shooters.
Yokum's Vacationland: Hotel, cabins and camping 1-800-772-8342 or (304) 567-2351. The camping option at Yokum's will have more road noise than Seneca Shadows.
Harmon Cabins: (304) 257- 2220 picturesque setting in a deep canyon next to the river.
Smoke Hole Cabins: Several guys have found this an attractive option.(304) 257-4442
Seneca Shadows Campground: US Forest Service Facility. Full-on bathrooms (hot water) and group sites. Ask some of the guys from previous years, but I think several of them went together on a couple of group sites and it worked out well. It's a good (cheap) option if the weather is reasonable. USFS in Elkins (304) 257-4488 or (304) 567-2415 for information.
The Front Porch Restaurant : Above Harper's Store. This is the best local place for lunch and dinner if you arrive early on Friday. The menu offers plenty of variety and reasonable pizza. The owner of the store and restaurant is Joe Harper, who also owns the land where we hold the match. You might want to see if he is around and say thanks for letting us use his farm for the event.
Macksville Mart: This gas station /convenience store offers made to order breakfast sandwiches to start your day. It is located a mile or two South on Rt. 33 (toward Franklin and Judy Gap) on the right.
If you are a first time ASC shooter stop in at The Gendarme (Down the lane between Harper's and Yokum's) when you arrive at Seneca on Thursday and pick up a local area map highlighting campgrounds etc and the location for the shooters meeting. Look for the envelope marked Match Info on the bulletin board to the left of the door of The Gendarme. If you have any interest in rock climbing at any level poke your head in the door - they have it all including the best local guide service/ instruction.
Mandatory Shooters Meeting
The shooters meeting will be held at Rod's house (See local map that you pick up at The Gendarme). Attendance at the shooters meeting is mandatory. Planned start time is 7:00 PM on Thursday night prior to the start of each match.
Weather Preparations
As anyone that has spent any time on the mountain will tell you- be prepared for anything. It could be quite cool, especially in the morning and baking hot by afternoon. Bring clothes appropriate for the anticipated conditions. Don't forget sunscreen. The elevation at the match site is approximately 3,500 ft. - right on the Eastern Continental Divide.
Food and Water
Make sure you have plenty of water to meet your needs during the match. Bring whatever food you need for a full day. There will be time throughout the day to eat, but no planned lunch break. There are no bathroom facilities at the match site so be prepared for that too!
The Match
1. No rifles over .30 caliber. Magnums are OK. If you are thinking about shooting a non-SAAMI caliber it must be approved in advance. 3,100 fps velocity limit. If your caliber/load combination is capable of exceeding 3,100 fps it will be checked.
2. There will be no sighters
3. Laser range finders will be allowed on nearly all stages.
4. There will be no whining
5. Bring an operationally ready rifle and support gear. We presume you know what you need and use. If your equipment load starts getting over 35 pounds including your rifle, you might want to take a closer look at what you are planning to carry. You will enjoy the short walks in the hills more if you are hauling a minimum load. Think essentials!
6. Round Count: 180 rounds is plenty. It looks like some of the activities on the mountain over the past months might open some additional opportunities for target placement so the potential round count has been increased.
7. We like to think of this match as sniper golf - it involves short walks (50-300 yards) between firing positions as you engage various targets. This approach allows us to take maximum advantage of the terrain and present a very wide variety of shooting challenges. You will be moving throughout the day so plan your load accordingly. Target options include well over 3 tons of steel of various shapes and sizes. Stress in some form, will be an integral part of some shots.
That covers it. Those of you that have been to previous matches know the drill. Those of you that are new to ASC will probably have some questions - ask them. If you are a new ASC shooter you might want read the articles provided. The match changes every year, but these articles will give you an idea of what to expect.
We are looking forward to seeing previous year's participants and meeting all of the new folks.
Plan on a good time!
Registration Is Open
