By Frank Stanko • Daily News franks@wahpetondailynews.com Apr 28, 2023
Sportsmanship is not limited to only men, a principle the Red River Area Sportsmen’s Club (RRASC) celebrated Thursday, April 27 in Wahpeton.
RRASC’s 36th Annual Awards Banquet marked the first time that the Sportsman of the Year and Lifetime Achievement Awards were both given to women. Club Secretary Mary Rausch is Sportswoman of the Year. Rebecca Truesdell, 2013-14’s Sportswoman of the Year, is the new Lifetime Achievement honoree.
President Greg Gerou, himself the recipient of the Sportsman of the Year, Lifetime Achievement and Lifetime Member awards, spoke proudly of Rausch and Truesdell.
“Mary has done a great role in her role as secretary, and has worked with other board members and committee chairs to ensure their information is communicated to the members and the local media,” Gerou said. “She works closely with the club’s social media to ensure the club events are published.”
Soon after the ceremony, Rausch posed with Truesdell, Gerou and her nearly two-year-old daughter Kamryn. Family was celebrated throughout the RRASC awards, including the lead-up to Truesdell’s win.
“Following in the footstep of her father, past Club President Vince Herding, she has assumed the role of event coordinator similar to what Vince did before his passing,” Gerou said. “The task of tracking, managing and cataloging the many donations, sponsorships and gifts made to the club’s annual Sportsmen’s Smoker is critical to the success of the event.”
Having a successful Sportsmen’s Smoker allows the RRASC to achieve its mission of providing quality outdoor experiences for Southern Red River Valley youth. Gerou and other club members are grateful for Truesdell’s leadership.
“Although she is not the only person involved in the planning and scheduling of the Smoker, she does provide a cohesiveness for the others to draw on. Along with her husband Rich and sister Melissa, she is co-chair for our annual Vince Herding Youth Fishing Derby,” Gerou said.
The 2023 Vince Herding Youth Fishing Derby will be held from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, May 6 at Kidder Recreation Area in Wahpeton. A free event for youth ages 18 and under, the derby will include fishing until 12 p.m., a casting contest beginning at 11 a.m. and an hour of food and door prizes.
For nearly 40 years, RRASC has continued to promote and support quality youth outdoor experiences. As of Thursday, April 27, more than 3,500 participants have taken part in nearly 250 junior wildlife events, followed by more than 10,000 participants in nearly 160 fishing derbies and nearly 680 participants in more than 40 youth hunts.
“I would like to express my personal appreciation to both the past and present members of our board of directors, for their dedication to the RRASC,” Gerou said. “They include Vice President Brad Glarum, Secretary Mary Rausch, Treasurer Greg Braun and Directors Cindie VanTassel, Rich Truesdell and Kelly Carlson.”