Key Takeaways
- USA Shooting received a cash grant from MidwayUSA Foundation to cover ammunition, targets, entry fees, travel, and Junior World Championships participation
- The grant is funded through the Lones Wigger Endowment, named for the two-time Olympic gold medalist who devoted his career to youth shooting development
- Youth programs receive 5% of the endowment balance annually, with every new donation matched by MidwayUSA Foundation
- MidwayUSA Foundation allocates zero dollars to operating expenses, directing 100% of donations to the endowment
- Junior athletes will compete at the Junior World Championships in Suhl, Germany
Grant Covers Core Costs for Junior Athletes
USA Shooting announced it has received a cash grant from MidwayUSA Foundation to support its youth development programs. The funding will go toward ammunition, targets, competition entry fees, travel, and participation in the Junior World Championships in Suhl, Germany.
“We are sincerely grateful to MidwayUSA Foundation for their continued support of USA Shooting youth programs,” said Kelly Reisdorf, CEO of USA Shooting. “This grant directly assists with the essential expenses associated with training and competition, helping ensure young athletes have access to the resources they need to grow and succeed in our sport.”
For families with kids in competitive shooting, those line items add up fast. Ammunition alone is a recurring cost, and international travel for junior competition puts additional financial pressure on households already stretched by training and equipment expenses.
The Lones Wigger Endowment and Its Structure
The grant comes through the Lones Wigger Endowment, housed within MidwayUSA Foundation. Wigger was a two-time Olympic gold medalist and one of the most decorated shooters in U.S. history. After his competitive career, he focused on growing the sport through mentorship and youth programming.
His daughter, Deena McDorman, said the family sees the endowment as a direct extension of his life’s work. “There was nothing more important to our father than the promotion of junior shooting programs and the future of this great sport,” McDorman said. “For us, we get to see his memory and legacy live on through these hopeful future champions.”
The endowment is structured so that each year, USA Shooting’s youth programs are eligible to receive 5% of the total endowment balance as a cash grant. That creates a compounding effect: as the endowment grows, the annual distribution grows with it.
A Funding Model Built for Long-Term Sustainability
What makes MidwayUSA Foundation’s approach notable is its cost structure. Thanks to funding from Larry and Brenda Potterfield, the Foundation removes nothing for operating expenses. That means 100% of every donation flows directly into the endowment. Donations are also tax-deductible and eligible for matching through MidwayUSA Foundation’s matching program, effectively doubling contributions.
Pete Eisentrager, Executive Director of MidwayUSA Foundation, framed the investment in pipeline terms. “USA Shooting’s youth development programs are the pipeline for our country’s future Olympic and Paralympic athletes,” Eisentrager said. “The funds they received from our recent cash grant cycle will help ensure those young athletes have the resources and funding they need to represent us on a national and worldwide level.”
For youth sports operators and funders watching how NGBs sustain programming without relying entirely on annual fundraising cycles, the endowment model here is worth studying. It shifts the financial base from year-to-year appeals to a permanent, growing pool of capital.
What This Means for Youth Shooting’s Development Pipeline
USA Shooting is a 501(c)(3) chartered by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee as the National Governing Body for Olympic and Paralympic shooting sports. It is headquartered at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
Grants like this one help close the gap between grassroots participation and elite competition. The jump from local or regional shooting to international junior events is expensive, and without institutional support, many talented young athletes simply cannot afford it. The MidwayUSA Foundation endowment is designed to make that gap smaller, permanently.
Source: USA Shooting, March 18, 2026
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