Kimmels Church, Cabela's to host TV hunting…
Kimmels Church, Cabela's to host TV hunting couple Ralph and Vicki Cianciarulo
By Gary Blockus |
PUBLISHED: January 6, 2015 at 3:18 a.m. | UPDATED: July 1, 2019 at 4:19 a.m.
Banquet season is upon us, and if you don't make plans pretty soon, you're going to be in real danger of missing out on one of the most intriguing banquets.
Former Morning Call outdoors writer Christian Berg, now editor of Petersen's Bowhunting magazine, has landed a major pair of players as guest speakers for the Deer Hunters' Banquet usually held at Kimmels Church in Orwigsburg.
This year's banquet had to be moved to the Hamburg Field House at the rear of South Fourth Street in Hamburg because the speakers will most assuredly draw a far larger crowd than what could be held in the church.
Ralph and Vicki Cianciarulo, "North America's Favorite Hunting Couple," who have appeared on the Outdoor Channel and WILD TV for more than 13 years, will do the headline presentation for the community outreach banquet being hosted by Kimmels Church and Cabela's.
"Ralph and Vicki are two of the biggest names in hunting today, and getting them here for a local event is a real coup for the sportsmen of eastern Pennsylvania," said Berg, the banquet organizer. "This event is going to be a tremendous opportunity to learn from two of America's most successful deer hunters and celebrate our common passion for chasing whitetails."
Berg said he approached the pair about the potential for an appearance last February at the first NRA-staged Great American Outdoor Show in Harrisburg, which replaced the old Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show.
He got to know the couple during a 2009 caribou hunt in Quebec while he was working on a magazine story, and they were filming a show with the same outfitter. They have kept in touch via Facebook and hunting with the same outfitters.
Through William "Hoppy" Kempfer of Osceola Outfitters in St. Cloud, Fla., Berg found out the Cianciarulos shared a mutual faith in Jesus Christ, which fit in with one of the driving tenets of the annual Deer Hunters' Banquet.
"This banquet is not a fundraiser for the church," Berg said. "It is a community outreach event, and the cost of the tickets is really just to allow us to break even on the hall rental, catering and other expenses associated with hosting the event.
"It is really just designed to be a fun evening for local hunters to come together and celebrate the outdoors, be entertained and learn some new insights from the experts about how they can be more successful in the field."
At last year's GAOS, Berg asked the Cianciarulos if they would be interested in sharing their knowledge at the banquet and they readily agreed. And the timing works out perfectly for them with this year's Great American Outdoor Show, which runs Feb. 7-15 at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg.
The GAOS kicks off Feb. 7, and the couple booked a Feb. 5 flight into Harrisburg, so having the Deer Hunters' Banquet on Feb. 6 made perfect sense.
Cost of attending is just $20, and more than 100 door prizes such as bows, crossbows, trail cameras, ground blinds, decoys, and camo clothing are included as part of the ticket price.
"And last but not least, we of course invite speakers who — in addition to being well known in the hunting community — share a faith in Christ and will tell folks how that has tied into their success in the great outdoors," Berg said.
"Despite the overwhelming popularity of their television shows and a wall packed with record-book bucks, Ralph and Vicki have never forgotten where they came from. They are two of the most humble, gracious people you will ever meet, and I know banquet attendees will appreciate their humor and down-to-earth personalities as much as they will their insights on deer and deer hunting."
To order tickets, call Kimmels Church at 570-943-2759 or email admin@kimmelschurch.org. Tickets are also available 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Jan. 17 and 24 at Cabela's near Hamburg.
Donate your expired Christmas tree: Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center is asking people to donate their expired Christmas trees at the designated drop-off spot at 400 Belfast Road, Bushkill Township. The park personnel will use the trees to provide cover for the birds.
Busy weekend at Jacobsburg: It's movie and craft night at Jacobsburg on Friday. Bring the family at 6:30 p.m. to take part in a craft before watching "The Butterfly King," about the monarch butterfly. The 30-minute movie screens promptly at 7 p.m.
On Saturday, Jacobsburg and other places in the Bushkill Creek Watershed will be counting birds and looking for oddball species that may have wandered into the region. The count takes place 8 a.m. through 4 p.m., but you can stay for as little or as long as you like. Dress for the weather, bring binoculars, lunch and something to keep you hydrated.
To register for either program, call the park at 610-746-2801.
Lehigh Valley Sportsman Show set for March: The three-day Lehigh Valley Sportsman Show returns to the Agri-Plex at the Allentown Fairgrounds on March 6-8.
The show, with Cabela's serving as the title sponsor, will run 1-7 p.m. March 6, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 7, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 8.
This year's show will feature a redesigned floor plan in the 60,000-square-foot Agri-Plex to allow for more vendors and displays.
For more information on the show, go online to http://www.lehighvalleysportsmanshow.com or call PBM Productions at 610-395-5280.
gary.blockus@mcall.com
Twitter @gblockus
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