UA Assistant General President Michael Pleasant and Milwaukee Tool Director of Mechanical Trades Michael Kirby were both presented with custom-made wooden American Flags signed on the back by dinner attendees.
USA, UA & Milwaukee Tool Reach New Heights at 2024 Ann Arbor Dinner
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The 2024 Union Sportsmen’s Alliance’s (USA) UA & Milwaukee Tool Ann Arbor Conservation Dinner was a night of pride, achievement, camaraderie and excitement for 400 union members and supporters on August 13.
The ninth annual dinner set a new fundraising record for the event to benefit conservation through a live auction, raffle games and drawings. The live auction featured competitive bidding and winners went home with a variety of items ranging from firearms to Milwaukee Tool products.
During the dinner, those in attendance inside the Sheraton Ann Arbor Hotel serenaded “Happy Birthday” to Raymond Boyd, the UA Director of Education and Training.
Boyd, who also won a table gun, explained what this dinner meant to the UA.
“There are so many outdoors-men-and-women and conservationists that are UA members that participate in this particular dinner,” Boyd said. “People look forward to this Union Sportsmen’s Alliance dinner and just meeting up again since we only have our Instructor Training Program once a year. I know the USA hosts a lot of events around the country, but when we can get together like that in such a large number, it really brings our people together, and they look forward to connecting again soon.”
UA Director of Education and Training Raymond Boyd interacts with attendees at the 2024 UA & Milwaukee Tool Ann Arbor Conservation Dinner inside the Sheraton Ann Arbor Hotel.
USA Event Coordinator Eric Bakken took a moment to appreciate what was in front of him while speaking to the sold-out room.
“What I noticed was what I now called my definition of USA4Life,” Bakken said. “When I looked across the room full of 400 people, I saw true passionate members. I saw representation from the USA’s shoots and dinners in Houston, Mississippi, Texas and Missouri, tons of calendar supporters, people who made sure we had the lights on while we were doing virtual fundraising, and leaders of so many conservation projects. It was truly inspiring and a testament to what the UA brings to the USA.”
USA Event Coordinator Eric Bakken speaks to a room of 400 union members and supporters at the 2024 UA & Milwaukee Tool Ann Arbor Conservation Dinner Aug. 13.
Both the UA and Milwaukee Tool were well represented at the event. UA General President Mark McManus addressed the crowd early on in the evening. To finish the night off, the USA presented UA Assistant General President Michael Pleasant and Milwaukee Tool Director of Mechanical Trades Michael Kirby custom-made wooden American Flags signed on the back by dinner attendees as a thank you for their ongoing support of this dinner, conservation and labor.
Dinner attendees sign the backs of custom-made wooden American Flags.
The generosity and support contribute to the USA’s efforts to enhance public access to the outdoors, conserve wildlife habitats, restore our nation’s parks, and pass on outdoor heritage to the next generation. A portion of the evening’s proceeds stay right in the community to fund local Work Boots on the Ground conservation projects.
“It’s not just about giving away guns or crossbows or coolers and stuff like that,” Boyd said. “These are worthwhile dinners and outings that are generating money to protect land that we have.”
