The Sidney Sun-Telegraph - Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper

The Sidney Shooting Park is honored to announce the receipt of a grant from the Bass Pro Shops / Cabela’s Outdoor Fund in the amount of $20,000.

“I would like to thank the Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s Outdoor Fund for all their support in the progressive development of our great Park and the future of our youth programs,” said Brad Zalesky, SSP president.

This generous grant will fully fund Phase I of SSP’s Handgun Range project, which will be accomplished by the end of 2this year. One complete shooting area with four covered shooting lanes will be installed during this phase. Phase II will take place in early 2020, at which time the size of the pistol range will be doubled by adding a second shelter with enough stations and targets for another four shooting lanes. Upon completion of the project there will be two 20’ x 40’ steel shade structures side by side in the pit, for a total of eight covered lanes.

The new handgun range is intended to be multi-functional, and provide a variety of shooting scenarios for increasing skill levels. People will be able to enjoy basic shooting at static paper targets and steel gongs. In addition, the new range can be set up to host competitive Practical Pistol matches, such as IDPA and Steel Challenge, which are not only exciting sports but a practical way to develop and practice shooting skills such as shooting while moving, shooting at moving or reactive targets, and from behind or to the side of walls and corners.

“The Sidney Shooting Park would like to thank the Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s Outdoor Fund for their generous grant,” stated SSP Treasurer Jeff Ellwanger. “This grant will make it possible to provide a quality, safe shooting venue for the citizens of Cheyenne County as well as shooting enthusiasts throughout Western Nebraska, Northeast Colorado and Southeast Wyoming.”

The Sidney Shooting Park also received a $9,000 grant from the Cheyenne County Visitors Committee. The announcement was made Dec. 20 by Committee Chairman Hal Enevoldsen and vice-chair Brooke DeNovellis.

“The project falls well within our parameters of growing tourism in Cheyenne County by providing a venue that will draw shooters to our county for pistol competitions,” Enevoldsen and DeNovellis said in a written statement.

This grant will fully fund Phase II of SSP’s new Handgun Range project, which will be accomplished by the summer of 2020. The initial Phase I project calls for four covered shooting lanes to be installed. Phase II will take place in early 2020, at which time the size of the pistol range will be doubled by adding a second shelter with enough stations and targets for another four shooting lanes. Upon completion of the project there will be two 20’ x 40’ steel shade structures side by side in the pit, for a total of eight covered lanes. The new handgun range is intended to be multi-functional, and provide a variety of shooting scenarios for increasing skill levels.

The Sidney Shooting Park is located in the Sidney Wilderness Area one mile north of Illinois Street (Hwy. 30) on Greenwood Road. It was established in 2005 as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the establishment of a shooting sports facility for the community and the promotion of shooting sports in the greater southwest Panhandle area.

As the premier outdoor and conservation company, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s supports initiatives inspiring everyone to enjoy, love, and conserve the great outdoors. The 501(c)3 Outdoor Fund raises funds to support conservation efforts by encouraging more than 200 million passionate sportsmen and sportswomen to round up their purchases in Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s stores.

Join us at the Grand Opening of the new SSP Handgun Range at 10 a.m. on Jan. 4, 2020.Please visit the Sidney Shooting Park website at http://www.SidneyShootingPark.com/handgun/ for a schedule of events.