Celebrity Hunt starts Thursday


Thursday, November 5, 2009
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Celebrity Hunt starts Thursday

The date is set! The 2009 National Celebrity Hunt is scheduled for November 5, 6 and 7 on the historic grounds of Fitch Farms-Galena Plantation.

Celebrities, visitors and hunters from across the country will travel to Holly Springs to help raise money for Juvenile Diabetes Type I Research, the Bird Dog Foundation and Ames Plantation. Politicians and national celebrities from the music, entertainment and sports industries will participate.

Returning for the festivities are Tom Lester of Green Acres fame and Nashville songwriter and recording artist Ed Bruce. Guests can enjoy comical anecdotes from Lester or listen to Bruce’s renowned songs, such as “Mama Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys.”

Speaking of cowboys, the Wrangler World’s Greatest Roper, K.C. Jones of Burlington, Wyoming, will be on hand to try his luck at some wing shooting. Perhaps he is as good with a gun as he is with a rope. Jones, a former four-time Wrangler Timed Event Champion, bested a field of ropers representing 40 world championship titles. He mastered all three roping disciplines to win the World Championship. The National Celebrity Hunt will be his first visit to the Holly Springs area.

Another newcomer to the revelry is not only a cowboy, but an NFL veteran. Steve Freeman, from Oxford, played college football at Mississippi State University where he starred as a defensive cornerback. He was drafted by the New England Patriots but signed off of waivers by the Buffalo Bills. Once in Buffalo, Freeman played as a free and strong safety for 12 years.

While in Buffalo, he was team captain, a star special teams player and a leading defensive back. Freeman set a Buffalo Bills record of playing 169 consecutive games and only missed one game in his entire 13-year career. He was honored by the Bills with the Ralph Wilson Award, which is given to a former player who has honored the team with his life and integrity. Freeman was named to the All-Pro Team, the Bills’ 40-Year All-Time Team and was most recently inducted into the Mississippi State University Hall of Fame.

The National Celebrity Hunt invited a Bulldog, but the event wouldn’t be complete without a Rebel on board. Wesley Walls, former University of Mississippi All-American and 14-year NFL veteran, will take the course to try his luck at wing shooting.

While at Ole Miss, Walls played defensive end, linebacker and tight end. He was drafted in the second round by the San Francisco 49ers. He played in Super Bowl XXIV and was second on the depth chart behind All-Pro Brent Jones. Walls spent two seasons with the New Orleans Saints where he set a team record with 57 tight end receptions. It was with Carolina that Walls broke out as player and made the Pro Bowl five times. He retired with the Green Bay Packers and finished his career with 450 catches, 5,291 yards and 54 touchdowns.

In addition to television stars, cowboys and NFL standouts, the farm will have musical entertainment Thursday and Friday nights. Sonny Jackson, Nashville recording artist, and his band will provide some “boot-scootin’ music, along with special guest Rick Baggett. Lunch will be served each day from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at the plantation commissary. All donations are greatly appreciated and will benefit well-deserving charities. Each year, over $30,000 has been raised. This event is an SOI C3 corporation and all deductions are tax deductible.

See you there!

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