Courtesy Photo Six students were awarded scholarships of $500 each at the Hunting Heritage and Scholarship Banquet on Feb. 29 at the Posen Community Center. Scholarship winners pictured, from lef to right, are Tyler Hincka, Eyan Hincka, George Kroll, Matthew Szatkowski, Hannah Hentkowski, and Austin Schleben.

POSEN — Six scholarship finalists and their parents were guests of honor at the 21st annual Hunting Heritage and Scholarship Banquet held Feb. 29 at the Posen Community Center. The banquet is sponsored by the Presque Isle Turkey Trackers Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation.

This year’s winners were Hannah Hentkowski, Eyan Hincka, Tyler Hincka, George Kroll, Austin Schleben and Matthew Szatkowski. Each winner was presented with a $500 scholarship by Lisa Ataman, secretary/treasurer of the chapter, and Allan Idalski, plant manager of Lafarge Presque Isle Quarry, which cosponsored the scholarship awards with the Presque Isle Turkey Trackers.

Veterans, all emergency personnel and road commission workers were also honored during the event. More than 200 people enjoyed the delicious meal prepared by Kathy Purol. Randy Idalski did an outstanding job as emcee and auctioneer. There were live and silent auctions, raffles, games for adults and children and a ladies table filled with special items.

Presque Isle Turkey Trackers use the monies raised at the banquet to help in the community. This past holiday season, the chapter provided domestic turkeys to 26 local needy families. To date, over 200 turkeys have been provided. The chapter also donated $500 each to food pantries in Rogers City and Presque Isle. They are also active in hunter safety classes at local sportsmen’s clubs, provide low-cost seed (round-up ready corn and soybeans), sunflowers and wildlife seed mixes for local food plots and wildlife habitat improvements for winter food for deer, turkeys and other wildlife.

The chapter also sponsors and conducts a BB gun shoot during the Posen Potato Festival. In 2019 a total of 192 young people had a great time shooting for prizes. Many shot for the first time and are excited to come back again in 2020.

Plans are underway for next year’s banquet to be held Feb. 27, 2021, at the Posen Community Center. If you would like to join the chapter, please contact President Pete Demos at 989-766-8422 or Secretary/Treasurer Lisa Ataman at 989-464-2620.