The sound of shooters yelling “Pull,” and a shotgun blast following will be heard throughout Selwood Farms in Alpine on April 3 as the DAY Program in Alabaster will be hosting it’s third-annual sport shoot fund-raiser.

The DAY Program, which provides academic remediation, behavioral modification, stress management training, individual and family counseling, employment training and GED preparation for at-risk youths ages 13-18 in Shelby County, began the fund-raiser three years as a brainstorm of Sheriff Chris Curry.

Several years ago, former Shelby County District Judge and current Alabama Supreme Court Justice Patti Smith asked Curry to join the board of directors at the DAY Program.

After several years of various fund-raisers, like barbecue sales and golf tournaments, Curry suggested the program host a sport shoot.

“It’s sort of like golf with a gun,” Curry said.

The shoot will begin April 3 at 8:30 a.m., with registration beginning at 8 a.m. There is a four-person team format at a cost of $600 per team. Teams will taken to various stations and will be asked to shoot clays in various degrees of difficulty, ranging from in between trees to flying in different directions.

Lunch will be served following the event, and a grand prize of a half-day quail hunt will be given out to the winners.

Curry said the event should be a fun day for all, but he real fun should be knowing that the day spent will be helping the youth in Shelby County.

“I’ve always had two places that are soft spots in my heart: our seniors and our children,” Curry said.

Through the years, Curry said he has seen first-hand how the DAY Program has helped children who would have otherwise fallen by the wayside.

“It changes a young person,” Curry said of the DAY Program. “It changes them into a productive individual.”

Mike Blackwell, the DAY Program director, said it’s people like Curry who help keep the dream of the DAY Program alive.

“Sheriff Curry has been instrumental,” Blackwell said. “He’s just been a godsend. He believes in the kids and what we’re doing.”

As an agency of the United Way licensed through the Department of Youth Services, the DAY Program is funded through the agencies, while also receiving additional money from Shelby County.

However, many of the funds are designated for certain programs and projects and fund-raisers like the sport shoot allow the DAY Program to go the extra mile for each child.

“With the costs of things going up, we need to do something special,” Blackwell said. “This puts us over the edge.”

For more information about the sport shoot or to register, contact Blackwell at 664-1600, Curry at 670-6030 or Greg Lancaster at 669-3831.