Major Gifts and Gift Planning
DU Honors the Hamilton Family of Colorado for Its Support Since 1938
In 1938, Ferris F. Hamilton (1887-1943) of Denver, Colorado, became one of the first vice presidents of a fledgling organization called Ducks Unlimited. Hamilton’s early service to DU became a family tradition that was carried on by his two sons, Frederic C. Hamilton and Ferris F. Hamilton Jr., who died in 1985.
To celebrate this legacy of support, a tribute dinner was held on November 20, 2002, at the Colorado governor’s mansion in Denver. The dinner raised more than $330,000 in cash, of which $200,000 will be used to fund the Hamilton Family Project on the Elliott State Wildlife Refuge in northeast Colorado. The remainder will be used for conservation work near the Bear River Marsh in northern Utah.
Ferris F. Hamilton’s son, Fred Hamilton, and eight of Ferris’ grandchildren attended the dinner. In appreciation of their support, DU President John Tomke presented the family with an original copy of the first edition of Ducks Unlimited magazine from DU’s archives. The magazine was published in 1938 and features a photograph of Ferris F. Hamilton on the cover.
The overwhelming success of this event would not have been possible without the leadership of DU former president and event co-chairmen Peter Coors, and Tim and Charlotte Travis. (Tim is DU’s only Grand Slam Benefactor.) DU thanks its host, the Honorable Bill Owens, and the many major donors who contributed to the dinner: Louis Bansbach III, the Elizabeth and Stephen Bechtel Jr. Foundation, Zach Brinkerhoff Jr., Peter Coors, Cortlandt Dietler, Frederick and Catherine Eaton, Laurence H. Fuller, Charles Gallagher, Charles C. Gates, Terence M. Graunke, Tim Hall, Fred and Jane Hamilton, Dr. Jimmy Howell, William Hybl, Lisa Ireland, Donald M. Kendall, Mrs. Don Lamont, Dan Lufkin, C. Edward McVaney, Jill and Bob Olsen, Tom Petrie, Jay Precourt, G. Jackson Tankersley Jr., Tim and Charlotte Travis, Jack Vickers, and George Wiegers.
Waterfowl Festival of Easton, Maryland, Continues Its Long-Term Support of DU’s Conservation Mission
The Waterfowl Festival has been a loyal partner in conservation with Ducks Unlimited since the early 1970s. For more than three decades, DU and the Waterfowl Festival have worked together to preserve internationally critical wetlands in Canada and Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The festival’s latest gift of $25,000 made it possible to restore close to 500 acres of wetlands and associated upland buffers on 23 farms throughout the Delmarva Peninsula. With Mother Nature providing the right weather conditions, a one-year-old restored wetland will begin providing top-quality waterfowl habitat during its first full growing season.
Each year, thousands of tourists and art lovers descend on historic Easton for the Waterfowl Festival, a testament to the region’s rich waterfowl heritage. The event brings hundreds of waterfowl carvers, painters, and sculptors to venues around Easton to show off and sell their crafts. The 33rd Annual Waterfowl Festival will unfold the weekend of November 14-16, 2003. Show hours are from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Sunday. For more information, phone 410-822-4567.
Lowcountry Conservationists Pay Homage to Coy Johnston
Ducks Unlimited and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources joined ranks to honor conservationist Coy Johnston on February 2, 2003. The Savage Backwater Restoration and Enhancement Project was dedicated to Johnston for his many years of conservation work in the South Carolina Lowcountry.
A native of South Carolina, Johnston spent his early years in the Lowcountry where his deep affection for the land and its wildlife began to take shape. After receiving his bachelor of science degree in forestry in 1952 from the University of Georgia, Johnston joined the Westvaco Corporation in 1954. He became Westvaco’s corporate customer-relations manager in 1958, and held that position for 21 years.
The year 1979 marked the beginning of Johnston’s employment with Ducks Unlimited. He served as regional director for South Carolina, east regional development director, and ACE Basin project director for DU’s Wetlands America Trust before he retired in 1997. His wife, JoAnne, a dedicated conservationist in her own right, supported Johnston throughout his career.
The Savage Backwater at Donnelley Wildlife Management Area in Colleton County, South Carolina, is a 187-acre freshwater reserve constructed many years ago to supply water for flooding downstream ricefields. The restoration of the Savage Backwater required additional water-control structures, as well as 15,000 feet of internal ditching. The end result will be a large, open aquatic system providing excellent habitat for ducks and wading birds. Dedicating the Savage Backwater Project in honor of Coy Johnston was a fitting gesture for a truly dedicated sportsman and conservationist.
Waterfowl Habitat Dedicated to Andy Morris, Former Mississippi State Chairman
On February 6, 2003, the Trim Cane Wildlife Management Area was dedicated in memory of Andy Morris of Columbus, Mississippi. Andy served DU as a volunteer in many capacities, most recently as Mississippi state chairman. Friends and family who attended the dedication remember Andy as a sportsman, a conservationist, and a major donor to Ducks Unlimited.
The Trim Cane Wildlife Management Area, located near Starkville, Mississippi, is an appropriate memorial for such a devoted volunteer. The wetland habitat development work by Ducks Unlimited and its partners—the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks; the United States Fish and Wildlife Service; and the Natural Resources Conservation Service—yielded seven shallow-water impoundments that total more than 220 acres of manageable waterfowl habitat.
Ducks Unlimited extends special thanks to the following major donors for their generous support: Marc and Lainie Anthony, Larry W. Edwards, Jack G. Moss, John and Denise Peeples III, and Randy Sewall.
Arkansas Habitat Dedicated In Memory of Robert “Bob” Young IV
The family and friends of Bob Young, along with DU state leadership, volunteers, and staff, gathered near Paris, Arkansas, on February 7, 2003, to formally dedicate the Bob Young Waterfowl Refuge in memory of Robert “Bob” Young IV, of Ft. Smith, Arkansas. Bob was an avid waterfowler and DU supporter. After his untimely death just prior to duck season in November 2001, Bob’s friends and family began collecting donations to contribute to DU in his memory.
Young’s parents, Robert and Mary Young of Ft. Smith, chose this recently constructed waterfowl resting area to honor their son’s memory. The 53-acre Bob Young Waterfowl Refuge is a vital addition to the limited wetland habitats in the Arkansas River Valley. It provides critical resting and foraging areas for thousands of waterfowl and shorebirds during their fall and spring migrations.
DU, along with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, would like to thank Robert and Mary Young for their generosity and the family and friends of Bob Young for their support. It is our hope that those who knew and loved Bob will take comfort in this special place that gives back to the resource that Bob so dearly loved and cherished.
Virginia Shawver Continues Family Tradition by Pledging Benefactor
Virginia Shawver (left) of Augusta, Kansas, is one of Ducks Unlimited’s newest Benefactor sponsors. Her recent upgrade was made in honor of friend and fellow Kansan Hugh Dennis. Her husband, E.B. Shawver (right), is one of DU’s long-time Legacy sponsors. E.B. and Virginia have worked to instill a tradition of support for Ducks Unlimited in their family and are responsible for 11 additional major donor memberships. Included in this group are their three children and six grandchildren.