Luke Bryan to Chair National Hunting and Fishing Day
SPRINGFIELD, Mo.�One of country music�s new stars to watch in 2009, Luke Bryan has a hot debut album, a second album coming later this year, Top 10 hits in �All My Friends Say� and �Country Man,� and a new role as honorary chairman of National Hunting and Fishing Day.
The annual celebration is set for Sept. 26, 2009.
Congress established National Hunting and Fishing Day to recognize hunters and anglers for their leadership in fish and wildlife conservation. Since launching in 1972, the day has been formally proclaimed by every U.S. President and countless governors and mayors.
Bryan joins an elite fraternity of country stars who helped build National Hunting and Fishing Day, including Hank Williams Jr., Travis Tritt, Tracy Byrd and Jeff Foxworthy.
Other honorary chairs have included actors, entertainers and sports stars like Wade Boggs, Jay Novacek, Robert Urich, Ward Burton, Tom Seaver, George Brett, John Havlicek, Arnold Palmer, Terry Bradshaw and many others.
�I feel very proud to be a part of this,� said Bryan. �I�m looking forward to the coming year. I hope to help grow awareness of what hunters and anglers do for conservation, and just promote hunting and fishing overall. It�s so important for young people to get involved in the outdoors. I couldn�t imagine my life and career without the time that I�ve spent hunting and fishing.�
A native of Leesburg, Ga., Bryan grew up farming, hunting and fishing with his family.
He said, �I don�t remember learning how to hunt and fish�just like I don�t remember learning how to talk. It was just a natural thing in our family. Part of our lifestyle. I had a dad who wanted to take me hunting and fishing, and we went two or three times a week.�
Today, the Capitol Records Nashville artist and his father remain part of America�s 34 million hunters and anglers. Together, their licenses, permits and special taxes generate $100,000 every 30 minutes�totaling more than $1.75 billion per year�for fish, wildlife and habitat programs. No one contributes more for conservation.
�We�re thrilled that Luke will be the face and voice of the sporting community this year. With his help, National Hunting and Fishing Day will again serve as a great reminder to all Americans that conservation succeeds only because of hunters, anglers and shooters,� said Denise Wagner of Wonders of Wildlife museum.
Wonders of Wildlife, in Springfield, Mo., is the official home of National Hunting and Fishing Day. The museum coordinates public education and awareness campaigns to promote traditional outdoor sports.
The growing list of sponsors for National Hunting and Fishing Day 2009 includes Wonders of Wildlife, National Shooting Sports Foundation, Bass Pro Shops, The Sportsman Channel, Realtree, GunBroker.com, Hunting Heritage Trust, Cabela�s, Boone and Crockett Club, Smith & Wesson, Field & Stream/Outdoor Life, Woolrich and Yamaha.
For more information, visit nhfday.org.