Dept of Fish and Game gives 12 y/o girl rifle (news)

[Berg]

Transplant Recipient Gets Rifle & Hunting Gear in Pocatello

POCATELLO - A young girl in Pocatello is loving life after she received a hunting rifle and gear from very generous donors in the Gate City.

12-year-old Chantelly Westmoreland is from Challis and had a kidney transplant in June after waiting the last seven years for a new one. She has been working with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and one of her wishes was to get a new rifle to go hunting with her grandfather.

The Make-A-Wish foundation's policy is not to give out firearms but they have helped her by giving her a $2,400 shopping trip in August.

So the department of Fish and Game along with an anonymous donor from Bancroft, ISU Credit Union, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the Snake River Firearms Instructors came together to grant Chantelly's wish.

After growing up watching her grandfather hunt, she wants to follow in his footsteps.

"My grandpa is putting me in for elk and deer so both like he is," said Chantelly Westmoreland, who is receiving a rifle and hunting package.

Chantelly got a new rifle, ammo and other hunting gear. She plans to go hunting with her grandfather near Challis Hot Springs next month.

Pics at the link:
http://www.localnews8.com/global/story.asp?s=11153671

 

[cleardiddion]

Nice!

 

[bigalexe]

That is nice and I'm going to do some shameless advertising

Everyone should support Benefit-4-Kids which is an organization similar to Make-A-Wish. The B4K Organization is a non-profit based in Michigan (although they are trying to expand) that sends terminally ill and life limited children ages 0-18 on outdoors trips. Many of those trips are hunts. The fact is that Make-A-Wish is a great organization but as a policy will not support the type of trips that B4K does because of liability. Also one thing I personally love about B4K is that they are willing to grant wishes to kids who aren't terminally ill but are still in a medical situation that prevents them from being outdoors on their own.

http://www.b4k.org

 

[2RCO]

Great story... It irks me a bit that Make A Wish has a policy about giving away guns to kids but they do alot of good otherwise so I'll continue to donate. It also looks like they used others to get around that rule in this case.

It's good to hear that this kid is happy!!!

 

[paintballdude902]

very good!!!

 

[Starship1st]

This is a good and heart warming story. Thank you for posting it.

 

[Mr. Bojangles]

Happy Happy Joy Joy

 

[sltintexas]

cool story! I can understand their policy about firearms..but it seems like they still made it work. Hat's off to them!

 

[3pairs12]

Thats awesome.

 

[black_powder_Rob]

Now that is something I like to hear about.

 

[chris in va]

Good for her!

I'll say though...7 years on the kidney wait list? Ouch. My friend just received a kidney from his brother, took about a year of testing and paperwork. Couldn't imagine being on dialysis for that long.

 

[AirForceShooter]

Fantastic!!!

AFS

 

[citizen]

"Yes, Virginia; there IS an America!"

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

I am pleased to see it is still Fish and Game.

 

[jnyork]

Outstanding !

 

[Erik]

Perhaps the only non-firearms policy that I've seen which meets with my approval; one including a blank check and the implicit wink and nod to purchase a firearms with it as necessary.

Great story - thanks for sharing.

 

[longdayjake]

Gotta love Pocatello!!!!!

I wish I had known about this. I would have chipped in too.

 

[FROGO207]

Ahhh... something good about firearms in the news! Can't think of a better reason to help someone. Thanks for sharing.

 

[9mm+]

Great story and very heartwarming! I hope she bags a big elk, but the trip with her grandfather will be special in its own right. God bless little Chantelly and her entire family, and thanks to the Dept of Fish and Game for doing the right thing...