Business leaders and community members trade boardrooms for shotguns for one afternoon, all in support of Texas youth chasing scholarships through shooting sports.
Defender Outdoors Clay Sports Ranch, Fort Worth, TX — Thursday, October 1, 2026
Some fundraisers involve a silent auction and a rubber chicken dinner. This one hands you a shotgun.
Shoot for Scholarships returns to Defender Outdoors Clay Sports Ranch, located at 8270 Aledo Road in Fort Worth, bringing together more than 250 community and business leaders for a day of sporting clays, all in support of Texas youth chasing an education through the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo’s shooting sports program. The event is presented by AgTrust Farm Credit and open to everyone willing to sign up.
The format is straightforward and genuinely fun: teams head out to the clay ranch for an afternoon of shooting, with FWSSR belt buckles on the line for the winning teams, plus recognition for the top male and top female shooters of the day. It’s competitive, but it’s really a giant excuse to spend a few hours outdoors with fellow Texans, all while funding something that matters.
That something is the FWSSR Junior Shooting Sports Competition and its Aim for Education scholarship program, and the numbers behind it are worth knowing. In past years, this fundraiser has kicked off a full weekend of youth competition, with Texas 4-H and FFA students in grades 6 through 12 shooting for real scholarship money on three separate courses. In 2025, junior competitors shot for more than $25,000 in premiums, and the year before that, the total topped $45,000 in premiums and scholarships combined.
The program doesn’t stop at marksmanship, either. High school seniors who compete become eligible for the Aim for Education Scholarship Program, which pairs a shooting competition with an online exam covering wildlife conservation and natural resource knowledge, rewarding students who know their way around both a shotgun and a textbook.
This all fits into a much bigger picture. The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo awarded more than $200,000 in scholarships to Texas 4-H, FFA, and Texas High School Rodeo Association students in 2024 alone, a tradition that stretches back decades and has quietly changed the trajectory for thousands of Texas kids pursuing agriculture, education, and athletic goals they might not otherwise have been able to afford.
Whether you’re a business owner looking for a fun team-building afternoon, a shooting enthusiast who wants to put those skills to good use, or simply someone who believes in funding the next generation, Shoot for Scholarships offers a genuinely enjoyable way to give back.
Charity shoot sponsorships and general event information are available at FWSSR.com. For questions about the program or to volunteer, reach out at [email protected].
