CHESHIRE, Mass. — Some 200 or so people lined up on Saturday night for a taste of moose meatloaf, deer roast, salmon and turkey pot pie. 

 

The annual game dinner is a major fundraiser for the Adams Outdoorsmen for Youth, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year supporting the area's youth. 

 

"It's been fantastic through the 50 years," said President Wayne Tinney. "A lot of good workers, lot of good people, as you can tell, good crowd, yeah, and that's where all our money goes — we raise it and give it away."

 

The group was the brainchild of John Carpenter, who was presented with plaque for his "visionary guidance, exceptional leadership and unconditional commitment" as a founding member.  

 

Carpenter joked that it all started in a bar, having a drink with co-founder Paul Comeau. 

 

"We do it all for the for kids," he said. "We've had so many people do so much, to be able to do everything we do. We do scholarships, we donate, we help people. ...

 

"I can't believe in 50 years. But thank you very much all."

 

The Adams Outdoorsmen has provided tens of thousands of dollars in scholarships for both college students and those heading into the workforce, sent kids to summer camps, and introduced to the joys of the outdoors, especially through its fishing derbies. Reynold's Pond gets stocked with some 700 trout — everyone should catch a fish. 

 

"We do numerous scholarships, mostly Hoosac and Drury, $1,000 scholarships now for not only students going into college, but also students going right into the workforce," Treasurer Thomas Tinney said. "It's all geared towards youth. Everything that we earn here goes back, everything that we can we give back to the kids through numerous actions."

 

Greg Wojieck, who's been a member for almost the entire 50 years, noted that, this year, "we had 12 kids that applied for the camps and we gave them all $100 a piece to go towards camp."

 

Saturday's dinner at the Cheshire Rod & Gun Club was a far cry from the first, held a few years after the group's founding. About 35 people attended; over the years its grown to 200 or more. 

 

There was a dip in members and in dinner attendees during the pandemic, and the group got low in funding. 

 

"But we pulled through," said Wojieck. "We had a really good third year, we had a really good worked out well, so we're back on track again, and every year we're building up more and more people, more memberships." 

 

The cooking is all done by group members and the meat is a combination of donations from inside and outside the club. Tinney and Wojieck said the group has a good relationship with the rod and gun club and with the state Environmental Police. 

 

It wasn't all game meat — there were also sides and a vegan dish. 

 

The evening also offered raffles and a chance auction of numerous donations from local businesses and individuals, including gift certificates, and fishing on Lake Ontario. 

 

The annual event is as much as social activity as a fundraiser, said Wayne Tinney, because for some, it's the only time they see each other. 

 

In fact, there were so many conversations going around each table that it took a bit to hush them so Carpenter could be presented his plaque, and a standing ovation.