Ducks Unlimited banquet Sept. 23

The Whitehouse Ducks Unlimited Committee has scheduled its annual DU Banquet for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23 at Tyler's Oil Palace, located at 10408 Hwy. 64 East.

"We're really excited about this banquet," said Whitehouse DU area chairman Chad Smotherman. "Naturally, we'll have the traditional live and silent auctions. But the whole committee's working to make this year's raffles really special, really unusual."

Tickets cost $45 for a single, $65 for a couple and $25 for a youth (aged 17 and under) and are available from any Whitehouse DU committee member.

All tickets to the Whitehouse DU banquet include a year's membership in DU in addition to the evening's activities.

Special corporate tables are also available for $550. Corporate sponsors receive eight banquet tickets with reserved seating, eight DU memberships, special DU caps and a chance in a "corporate sponsor only" gun raffle.

"We've also got some special guns for the banquet," Smotherman said. "The DU dinner gun is a 20-gauge Beretta 'White Onyx' with custom DU engraving, gold inlay and a high grade European walnut stock and forearm. It's a beautiful shotgun.

"The Texas DU shotgun is a 'Silver Reserve' .410 gauge. It's got the Texas DU logo inlaid in the stock on a medallion. I think it's the first time that's ever been done in Texas. And, there'll be about 20 more guns on the auctions and the raffles."

In addition to the guns, the banquet will feature exclusive DU artwork, including the 2008 DU International Artist print "Diligence- Yellow Lab" by Anthony Padgett, the "Water fowling Hot Spots- Green-Winged Teal on the Platte" print by David Maass and two Ralph McDonald prints, "Ready for Action" and "Just Us."

"Ralph McDonald has become one of the most popular artists that's ever worked with DU," Smotherman said. "His 'greenwing' series paintings featuring kids in waterfowling situations have been tremendously successful."