Why So Blu?

Aaron’s Coverage of the 2010 Hollywood Celebrity Sporting Clays Invitational

On October 9, 2010, many celebrities gathered to be a part of the 2010 Hollywood Celebrity Sporting Clays Invitational to benefit the City of Hope Bone Marrow Donor Program.  The event was hosted by tough guy character actor and president of Uncommon Dialogue Films – Patrick Kilpatrick, and held at Triple B Shotgun Sporting Park in El Monte, California.  Many stars, as well as Olympic medalists, veterans, and other competitive shooters participated in the event that was both good sporting practice and a way to give for a good cause.

So the event kicked off Saturday morning.  Patrick Kilpatrick did a fine job of helping to make sure the event moved along in a nice and organized manner.  Kilpatrick can certainly have the appearance of an intimidating man, but he was kind to all those he would come into contact with and friendly with all the various sponsors, shooters participating, arriving celebs, and even us press folk.  While certainly one who is very familiar with clay shooting as a sport and the various guns and rifles involved, Kilpatrick was also quite spirited about making sure to acknowledge what the day was all about – support for the City of Hope.

While not a vast star filled event, a good number of familiar faces were on hand to both practice shooting sporting clays and support the charity.  Stars arriving on the red carpet included:  Joe Mantegna (Criminal Minds, The Godfather: Part III), Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters, Oz), Keith David (Platoon, The Thing), Erik Estrada (Chips), Mark Christopher Lawrence (Chuck), Roger Cross (24), as well as Frank Stallone, Ryan Merriman, D.B. Sweeny, Bruce Buffer, Scott Elrod, Stephanie Powers, Phoebe Price, Carmen Perez, Scott Bailey, and Adrienne Frantz.  Other guests included several sporting clays Olympic gold medalists, such as Sergeant Vincent Hancock and Taran Butler, among others.  In addition, several members of America’s various armed services, including air force, army, and navy, along with soldiers returning from Iraq were present for the event as well.  The occasion was also open to other all around recreational shooters who were willing enough to donate the required amount for entry tickets.  It was quite the affair, which was said to have had around 200 international shooters and 40 global celebrities participating in the events.

For those not too familiar with shooting sports, sporting clays is said to be the most contemporary.  The event on this day would split all those participating into four person teams, with two celebrities per team.  The teams would rotate from station to station, shooting bio-degradable, clay saucers launched at varying speeds, angles, heights, and directions in a day long structure, hoping to achieve the highest point total possible.  As safety is of course always a concern, the international competitors, instructors, and long-time shooting celebs would work to counsel and supervise those newer to the sport that day.

As the shooting portion would be happening throughout the day, the City of Hope Mobile Bone Marrow Testing Unit would be on-site for celebrity and event participants to be entered into the national registry, with the ultimate goal of finding a match for patients in need of bone marrow or stem-cell treatment.  In addition to the charity provided by those participating in the sporting clays event, silent auctions for various pieces of art (presented by some modern artists in attendance), along with rifles, shotguns, training course passes, sports shops, and dinners were donated as well.  Also on site during the day were sponsors and other vendors, who would be providing games, music, and other sources of entertainment, as well as performing various gun related demos.  While there would be awards given to those who performed the best by the end of the day, this was really an event that was participated in by those looking to both have some fun and be willing to give back to charity.

Once the shooting event began, I was able to walk around the sporting park (safely, mind you) and observe the various celebrities, competitors, and other professionals as they did their best to have fun and score points.  While it was apparent why those participating were there, I did manage to share some words with Joe Mantegna.  When asked why he was here today, Joe responded, “Basically because it’s a charitable cause, helping the wounded warriors and the City of Hope and so on.  I like shooting sporting clays and skeet trap anyway, so it’s like a no-brainer.  Why not do it, if it affords benefits to something.”  He certainly made his point clear; the event was for those who already held interest in sport shooting to be able to do so for an even greater purpose.

Even as time progressed and the day grew hotter in El Monte during that Saturday afternoon, it was an enjoyable event to be a part of.  Between hanging around with stars and competitors who were there to have fun and make a difference, seeing the different booths and activities on display, and observing Patrick Kilpatrick as he toted both guns and a positive message, it was a fine day for all involved, especially the City of Hope.