The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and the South Carolina National Guard Youth will partner to hold a youth squirrel hunt tomorrow (Saturday, Feb. 11) at Tyger Ranch, beginning at 12:30p.m. Well-known pro fisherman Hank Parker will be on hand filming the event.

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources offers a Take One Make One Program (TOMO), which is designed to teach safe hunting practices to students who have little or no previous outdoor hunting experience. TOMO emphasizes teaching safe and ethical hunting, the conservation and responsible use of our natural resources and character education.

SCDNR officer Dean Adams, a life-long Union County resident, has taken this whole program with a firm grip and has reached out to 16 sponsors and the South Carolina National Guard Youth to make this special day possible. “Guard families are vital to the security and well being of our great Nation and in return, The South Carolina National Guard (SCNG) has made a commitment to our troops and the families they leave behind as they go to war." The mission of the SCNG Family Programs is to enhance the quality of life for National Guard members, their families and the communities in which they live.

"The children of our guardsmen and women are 'Unsung Heroes,' and to honor their sacrifices, we will provide an exciting and memorable day for our soldiers and their families," stated James Harris, SC State Youth Director. “What Dean Adams has done to make this day happen is unbelievable. Our servicemen and women give back each and every day without a second thought and to have our community recognize their selfless acts of bravery and sacrifice speaks volumes on the heart, pride and dignity of Union County, our sponsors and community as a whole.”

They would like to thank: State Farm Insurance-Ashley Turner Agency, Union County Sheriff’s Office -Sheriff David Taylor, Union County Council, County Supervisor Tommy Sinclair, Hank Parker, Crisp and Son, Kelly’s BBQ, Tyger Ranch, W and W Amusement, Trophy Buck Hunt Club, West Springs Baptist Church-Men’s Ministry, Food Lion, Bi-Lo, Midway BBQ, Floyds Sunset Farm, and Fairforest Timber Company. In the words of Maj. General (Ret.) Paul Weaver- “The family can exist without the National Guard. Our National Guard cannot exist without its families."