Outdoor Dream Foundation, an Anderson, South Carolina-based nonprofit that takes terminally ill children on their dream hunting trips, may soon find it a lot easier to make those wishes a reality.
Thanks to proposed legislation, H. 3517, individuals 21 years old and under who are terminally ill could have their hunting fees waived by the director of the S.C. Department of Natural Resources.
In some instances children have had to wait several years in order to get the appropriate tags for their trip, and that’s time they may not have.
“It’s hard sometimes to get a child who wants to kill a bear and they have to wait to draw a tag when they’re terminal,” Nancy Benton, volunteer coastal coordinator for Outdoor Dream told a panel of senators. “We had a little boy that I hunted with December 29th who passed away in February.”
The bill was approved by the House last month and cleared a Senate subcommittee.
In order for the fee to be waived, the children would have to be working with a nonprofit charitable organization for their hunt. Hunters who’ve entered lotteries wouldn’t have to worry about their tags being taken way either.
“We’re talking about dealing with children that do not know how long they’re going to be with us,” said Outdoor Dream volunteer Chip Sharpe. “I urge you to pass this.”
