The Ellis County Chapter of Ducks Unlimited will hold their annual banquet at the Ellis County EXPO Center on Friday, April 27. The organization’s main fundraiser of the year, the evening will include a live auction, silent auction, raffles and other games, door prizes, and a Cajun dinner of fried catfish, fried alligator, shrimp, crawfish etouffee, and grilled chicken, with all the sides, and bread pudding for dessert. Items given away as prizes, raffled, or sold in auction will include guns, wildlife art, guided hunting and fishing trips, and much more.

   Ducks Unlimited (DU) got its start in 1937, during a time when North America’s drought-plagued waterfowl populations had plunged to unprecedented lows. In response to the crisis, a small group of sportsmen joined together to form an organization that became known as Ducks Unlimited.

   Now the world’s largest and most effective private waterfowl and wetlands conservation organization, DU is backed by more than one million supporters and has conservation projects throughout North America.

   Waterfowl are not the only beneficiaries of DU’s habitat work. Wetlands improve the overall health of the environment by recharging and purifying groundwater, moderating floods and reducing soil erosion. Wetlands are one of nature’s most productive ecosystems, providing critical habitat to more than 900 wildlife species and invaluable recreation opportunities for people to enjoy.

   DU members are conservationists and lovers of the outdoors. There are several different membership levels, including the basic adult membership of $25 per year and Greenwing membership (for ages 17 years and younger) for $10 per year. Just one of the benefits of membership is a subscription to “Ducks Unlimited” magazine for adult DU members and “Puddler” magazine for Greenwings.

   For more information about Ducks Unlimited, visit www.ducks.org. For information on the Ellis County chapter of Ducks Unlimited and the upcoming DU Banquet, contact John Reagan at 214-673-7264.