Memphis, Tenn. – July 13, 2015 – In Ducks Unlimited’s newest online film, Harris Jones recalls how a duck hunt on a mild day during his cancer treatments gave him hope for the future. Today, Jones is giving back to the resource as a Ducks Unlimited volunteer. And last spring he had a unique opportunity to hunt with duck-calling legend Buck Gardner.
“In one day I went from being a college athlete to a St. Jude patient,” said Jones. “I’m a person who realizes every day is a gift. And so any time I can wake up and put my feet on the ground, I’m thankful.”
With the DU Film crew on hand, Jones joined Gardner for a spring snow goose hunt in Eastern Arkansas. “When I first met Buck, I was a little star struck, I guess,” said Jones. “I was so honored to actually get the chance to hunt with him. It’s a dream come true for any waterfowler.”
“It’s a special day when you get to meet people like Harris,” said Gardner. “He has a tremendous story. I guess you could say he fought the good fight. I’ve followed his story and today I got to go hunt with him.”
Gardner is known for his work with children undergoing cancer treatment in Memphis. In this film, viewers get to follow Gardner to the Ronald McDonald House, where he hands out duck calls and gives calling lessons.“I thought giving out a few videos on hunting and teaching kids how to blow a duck call would be cool,” said Gardner. “These children truly are the heroes. It will inspire you if you ever get a chance to come and see them.”
Produced in partnership with Rock Road Creative, DU Films goes beyond the confines and formulas of traditional hunting shows, presenting the beauty and passion of waterfowling in new and unexpected ways. DU Films includes six short films airing on the DU website this spring. Viewers can watch the first five films and find more information about the series at www.ducks.org/dufilms. New films will be released each month through August.
DU Films is made possible through sponsorships from Sitka Gear, Buck Gardner Calls and The Original Muck Boot Company.
Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America’s continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 13 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever. For more information on our work, visit www.ducks.org. Connect with us on our Facebook page at facebook.com/DucksUnlimited, follow our tweets at twitter.com/DucksUnlimited and watch DU videos at youtube.com/DucksUnlimitedInc.
Media Contact:
Eric Keszler
