The MidwayUSA Foundation’s Hometown Challenge brought in $1,002,911.19 for youth shooting teams this September, the largest total in the fundraiser’s history. When the Foundation’s dollar-for-dollar match is added, the month-long drive produced nearly $2 million for youth shooting sports.
Almost all of the donations—$993,777.66—went into youth shooting team endowments, which the MidwayUSA Foundation matches through a program funded by Larry and Brenda Potterfield. Endowment dollars become a permanent fund that pays each team an annual grant for equipment, training, travel and competition expenses. A donation made this fall keeps paying out long after this season’s athletes have graduated.
“For our organization to generate nearly $2 million for youth shooting sports is something I’m extremely proud of! The dollars raised will assist youth shooting teams forever, thanks to our sustainable endowment model,” MidwayUSA Foundation Executive Director Pete Eisentrager said. “Incentives like this allow local youth shooting teams the opportunity to educate their communities about the importance of their team and its endowment.”
Donors and teams both have something to play for. Every $20 donation earned an entry into a sweepstakes offering more than 110 prizes valued at more than $36,000. Teams that raised the most money received extra endowment dollars, and 30 participating teams were drawn at random to receive $1,000 each in endowment funds.
New Jersey’s Hudson Farm Foundation led the field by a wide margin, raising $199,800 and earning a $15,000 endowment award. That is more than twice the total of runner-up West Virginia University, which raised $93,612.32 a year after winning the 2025 event with $131,055. Peoria Skeet and Trap Youth of Illinois, the 2024 winner, placed third with $78,063.20.
Ohio claimed the last two spots in the top five. Buckeye Outdoor Youth Education & Shooting Center, Inc., was fourth with $65,432.10. Williams County Sportsman’s Educational Association finished fifth with $42,555, about $4,000 more than it raised in 2025.
SK Guns served as title sponsor, providing its Michelangelo .45 ACP as a prize. Other sponsors included Umarex, Italian Firearms Group, Volquartsen, Walther, Savage Arms, Tippmann Arms, Glock, SSP Eyewear, Big Frig and Walker’s.
This year’s total tops the more than $1.6 million generated in 2025. The Hometown Challenge is held every September, and the full list of team and sweepstakes winners is posted at the MidwayUSA Foundation website.
| 2026 MidwayUSA Foundation Hometown Challenge: Top 5 Fundraising Teams | |||
| Rank | Team | State | Raised |
| 1 | Hudson Farm Foundation | N.J. | $199,800.00 |
| 2 | West Virginia University | W.Va. | $93,612.32 |
| 3 | Peoria Skeet and Trap Youth | Ill. | $78,063.20 |
| 4 | Buckeye Outdoor Youth Education & Shooting Center, Inc. | Ohio | $65,432.10 |
| 5 | Williams County Sportsman's Educational Association | Ohio | $42,555.00 |
The MidwayUSA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity that provides long-term funding to youth shooting teams in all disciplines. For more information, visit midwayusafoundation.org.
