Wild game will be on the menu for a noble cause March 17 when John 3:16 Ministries holds its third annual Wild Game Supper at Verizon Arena.
Established in 2003, John 3:16 Ministries is a "spiritual boot camp" for men battling drug and alcohol addictions. The faith-based program offers a safe haven where men can heal mentally, physically and spiritually.
The ministry accepts men ages 21 and older. An applicant must be at his personal "rock bottom."
John 3:16 Ministries takes them out of circulation, so to speak, for six months to one year. They live on the John 3:16 Ministries camp near Batesville -- away from family, outside friends and potential enablers to self-destructive influences. They work six days a week learning new skills or refining existing skills. Training includes catering, screenprinting, tree service, landscaping, auto body work, parking lot striping, masonry and mechanics.
During this journey, the men learn to be accountable to each other, to their families, communities and to the businesses that support the program.
Like any program, participants have their ups and downs. The son of a close friend has gone through John 3:16 three times. The husband of another friend recently returned for a second stint after relapsing. They have two young children.
A companion program helps participants restore marriages that have been strained by substance abuse.
Randy Hammonds, a John 3:16 minister, said the program recently celebrated its 1,000th graduate. Gov. Asa Hutchinson and First Lady Susan Hutchinson were present to honor that person, who will be at the Wild Game Supper and Crawfish Boil to give away two big door prizes, a Spartan mower and a 2012 GMC Sierra pickup.
"As of Jan. 28, we have 155 residents who pay nothing to come to John 3:16 and find life through Jesus Christ," Hammonds said.
Pulaski County residents, businesses and churches sponsored the largest house at the camp, Hammonds said. Completed in 2015, it houses 16 men at a time, mostly from the Little Rock area.
"We are currently working with a group from Saline County to raise the funds to build a Saline County house," Hammonds said. "This will be a 12-man house and allow us to offer 'the cure' to more men."
John 3:16 Ministries is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is supported entirely by donations and fundraisers like its wild game supper.
The amount of food at the all-you-can-eat event will be staggering. Hammonds said that the menu will include 500 pounds of fried alligator, 500 pounds of fried rabbit, 4,500 frog legs, 3,000 pounds of boiled crawfish, more than 1,000 pounds of hot chicken, more than 1,000 pounds of fried catfish, 6,000 shish-kabobs, more than 500 pounds of wild hog, more than 400 elk burgers, 200 pounds of smoked buffalo, wild turkey, smoked deer shoulder, fried deer, quail, duck wraps, goose wraps, French fries, hushpuppies, baked beans, green beans and rolls.
There will be plenty of free activities for visitors of all ages scattered around Verizon Arena, including a big fishing pound stocked with thousands of fish, a 30 foot climbing wall, a live rattlesnake exhibit featuring dozens of snakes, a live band and a live auction.
The John 3:16 Ministries Wild Game Supper has grown dramatically in three years. The first event netted $80,000. Last year's event netted $145,000. Both were held at the John 3:16 campus in Charlotte, but it has gotten so big that it requires a major venue like Verizon Arena.
The doors will open at 3 p.m. Dinner will begin at 5 p.m., and the live auction will start at 6 p.m.
Tickets cost $10 for ages 5 and older. Admission will be free for kids younger than 5. For more information, visit john316thecure.com or call (870) 799-2525.
CWD in Mississippi
Add Mississippi to the list of states that have chronic wasting disease, a contagious, incurable, untreatable neurological condition that kills whitetailed deer.
The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks announced Friday that a whitetailed deer found dead Jan. 25 in Issaquena County tested positive for chronic wasting disease.
Mississippi last year banned importing of deer carcasses from affected areas in hopes of keeping out the disease. It has banned supplemental feeding in Issaquena County and its neighboring counties.
Sports on 02/11/2018