NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Legendary American poet Walt Whitman said, “The habit of giving only enhances the desire to give.” That statement, more than 200 years later, perfectly describes Jackie Tuten, of Fruitland Park, Fla. She has given her time and resources to bringing the traditional outdoors experience to women through the National Wild Turkey Federation’s Women in the Outdoors program.
For her inexhaustible volunteerism, Tuten earned the 2007 Annie Oakley Award. Just as the world-famous sureshot spent the better part of her life as an ambassador for shooting sports, Tuten has spent the last six years spreading the story of wildlife conservation and making outdoor recreation available to women.
Tuten was honored during a ceremony at the 31st annual NWTF Convention and Sport Show held Feb. 23 to Feb. 25 in Nashville, Tenn. She is a volunteer with the Chain-O-Lakes Gobblers NWTF Chapter, organizing Florida’s top Women in the Outdoors event for the past five years. Under her leadership, the event draws 125 participants each year.
Tuten not only hosts events at a local level, she co-coordinated the Florida State Women in the Outdoors event for the past three years.
Tuten’s giving spirit reaches those in her community, as well. For five years, she’s spearheaded the Chain-O-Lakes Gobblers’ effort to award a scholarship to a local high-school senior. Her Women in the Outdoors event also awards scholarships to Lake County students each year.
And when she’s not planning her next event or helping someone start a women’s program in their community, Tuten still finds time to hunt and fish in the woods and waters of the Sunshine State.
“I’m amazed by the longevity of Jackie’s volunteerism,” said Patty Molinaro, Women in the Outdoors Southern National Coordinator. “It’s not something she’s taken up in the last month or two. She’s been helping our program for years. There’s something to be said for that.”
Legions of women are discovering their “outdoorsy” side, thanks to the NWTF’s Women in the Outdoors program. Whether it was wetting a hook, canoeing down a rolling stream, hunting or hiking off the beaten path, thousands of women found a world of their own during one of nearly 400 outdoor events in 2006.
For more information about the Annie Oakley award, visit the Web site, www.womenintheoutdoors.org, or call (800) THE-NWTF.
