The local chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, Tri-County Longbeards, was recognized at the annual awards state chapter banquet in Roanoke last weekend.

The Tri-County Longbeards have been an active chapter of the Wild Turkey Foundation since 2002. They do a couple of outreach events each year and host an annual fund-raising banquet in Smithfield, as well as several hunting and shooting outreach events in Suffolk, Isle of Wight and Sussex. Last weekend, they were awarded for their first Freedom Hunt.

For the Freedom Hunt, the club partnered with four hunt clubs in Sussex County and hosted 38 disabled hunters from their state chapter’s Wheelin’ Sportsmen outreach group for a deer hunt in December. Hunters’ disabilities ranged from arthritis and back pain to paraplegics.

“Doing these outreach events and getting our name out in the community — people want to be a part of that,” said Jon Joyner, an officer for the local chapter. “They see what we are doing and the money we are raising.”

There are about 30 Wheelin’ Sportsmen events that go on around the state each year, and the Tri-City Longbeards were selected as the top event from last year.

In the previous five years, the Tri-City Longbeards chapter has been growing rapidly, and this is the second year the organization has been recognized on a state level. In years past, they have held spring gobbler turkey events.

Their annual fundraising event will be on April 6 at 5:30 p.m. at the Smithfield Center in Smithfield. The fundraising event used to be held in Wakefield, but since 2011 it has been held at the Smithfield Center, which has helped increase attendance and revenue.

The chapter also does outreach such as a free annual BB gun shooting range at the Isle of Wight County Fair.