
Union volunteers are helping build trap and skeet shooting facilities at Illinois’ Cumberland County Sportsmen’s Club.
Labor union volunteers, the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA) and Remington Arms teamed up to expand public recreational shooting opportunities in Illinois and give a local high school trap team a new home.
Union volunteers donated nearly $30,000 worth of skilled labor, while the USA and Remington provided a $10,000 grant through the USA’s United Outdoors Conservation Fund to build a new trap and skeet shooting complex at the Cumberland County Sportsmen’s Club. The coalition joined forces with local businesses and community members to help push the project forward.
Located south of Champaign near Greenup, the public shooting sports facility will feature an 8-station trap and skeet range, complete with ADA-approved wheelchair accessible walkways. A second trap-only range certified by the Amateur Trapshooting Association is also under construction, and will provide the Cumberland High School Trap Team a welcome base of operations.
“The Cumberland team currently practices at shared facilities that are some distance away, which creates scheduling and transportation hardships for team members and their families,” said Josh McElravy, Central Laborers’ Local 159 member and president of the Lincoln Land Building & Construction Trades Council. “The new range will provide a convenient place to practice and host competitions with shooters from the surrounding area.” It will also benefit other youth and adult shooting programs, including 4-H Shooting Sports, youth events and recreational trap and skeet leagues.

The new range will expand opportunities for shooters of all ages, and give the local high school trap team a new home.
To date, union volunteers from Laborers’ Local 159, Plasterers & Cement Masons Local 143, Operating Engineers Local 841, Electrical Workers Local 702, Bricklayers Local 8 and Carpenters Locals 243 and 270 have donated more than 500 hours of labor valued at nearly $28,000 to the project. The $10,000 grant from the USA and Remington was used to purchase materials and equipment for the trap field.
“The USA is excited to support projects like this,” said USA Conservation Manager Rob Stroede. “We’re proud to join with Remington Arms and the union volunteers donating their time and skills through our Work Boots on the Ground conservation program to help provide a facility that will enable youth to enjoy the shooting sports for years to come.”
Launched in 2010, Work Boots on the Ground has completed more than 230 projects in 31 states. The value of donated volunteer labor exceeds $1.5 million, while outreach events have engaged more than 13,000 participants. The USA’s United Outdoors Conservation Fund further expands the organization’s conservation footprint by providing financial assistant to union-based organizations, conservation groups and agency partners to complete impactful conservation and access projects or outreach programs.
USA Director of Sales and Marketing Jay Stuart noted that Cumberland range users were the first beneficiaries of Remington Arms’ increased support of the USA’s fight to preserve North America’s outdoor heritage.
“Earlier this year, we welcomed Remington Arms as a National Conservation Partner,” he explained. “The Cumberland range is the first project to benefit from this partnership. We are grateful to Remington for providing the financial firepower to help the USA and union volunteers expand opportunities for Illinois shooting enthusiasts of all ages, and we look forward to completing many successful projects together in the future.”
“Remington is proud to be partnered with USA and union volunteers to make this project a reality,” said Remington Director of Marketing Christian Hogg. “We look forward to seeing the young men and women of the Cumberland High School Trap team make use of this facility to hone their skills and promote shooting sports in the area. It will be a great community resource for years to come.”