Just when you thought the hunting community was beginning to fail, the HUSH crew and their followers come through with a remarkable story.
The hunting industry is one of kind. It always has been. The foundation of hunting sits on a basis of tradition, a necessity to provide and a community of people with a common interest. At least, that was the case before social media came around.
Today, it seems many have used the platform of social media for personal gain. Unfortunately, there tends to be a lot of scrutiny placed on anyone with a larger social media following. Hate, jealously and uncertainty all tend to factor into what's seen on a daily basis from accounts with a greater following.
Often times, those who've never even picked up a gun are endorsing and receiving a paycheck to share products through their channels. Sometime, many accounts make it hard to determine who is real and who is fake. For a while, many began to worry that the true values of hunting were dying. Then we found these guys: the HUSH crew.
I hate to get biblical, but Mark 12:28-34 says that the second most important commandment is to "love your neighbor as yourself." The HUSH guys have certainly loved their neighbors and they do it year after year. This is a group of guys—Casey, Brian and Eric—who love the outdoors and have become a huge influence in the outdoor community.
For the past few years, the HUSH guys have been using their platform to give back to the community, both locally and nationally. They have gone above and beyond to inspire new hunters and anglers and want to, in their words, "cast a larger net." They want one that touches people who may not hunt at all, or never grew up with a mentor who inspired them to try activities in the outdoors. The HUSH guys are using their platform to be those mentors and reach out to those people, encouraging them to get out there and try new things.
These guys are also big on conservation and public access awareness. They work endlessly to help folks understand the importance of both and how it contributes to more than just hunters.
Four years ago, they started an annual movie premiere that launched the night before the Western Hunting and Conservation Expo in Salt Lake City, Utah. From there, it's grown into their evening of Giving Back. This year, the HUSH crew chose the Primary Children's Hospital and their donation was incredible.
The money comes from raffling off products donated by the HUSH crew's sponsors. It also comes from the Giving Back movie premiere sales. The theater sells out in about 15 hours and allows 500 folks the chance to help the HUSH crew to give back. This year they had $25,000 in items to raffle off and with the help of everyone who attended, they raised over $17,000 in just one evening. Last year they raised $10,000 and the first year was $6,000, showing a growth in interest in this event.
The HUSH crew also has a limited T-shirt they sell online, and the proceeds go directly to this fund. With the combined efforts, they were able to donate $22,553.02 to the Primary Children's Hospital this year.
The HUSH crew humbly does not want credit for this effort, but rather gives credit to those who join them in graciously giving back.
"When we all work together, we are a compassionate and powerful force," Brian McElrea says. "HUSH has allowed us to be the conduit between so many of our generous and loyal followers and these fantastic organizations that have benefited from them."
To everyone in the hunting community, the values and tradition of hunting aren't dying. And, they won't when you have role models like the guys from the HUSH crew. Charisma is often said to be a mysterious ineffable quality—you either have it or don't have it. The HUSH crew has it, as do their followers and the core of the hunting community.
Like what you see here? You can read more articles by Dustin Prievo here. Follow him and his hunting team, Top Pin Outdoors, on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
NEXT: 10 BIG-NAMED OUTDOOR PROS TELL US ABOUT LIVING THE DREAM
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