Historic Camp Perry was established in 1906. The National Matches that were founded by an Act of Congress in 1903 were moved to Camp Perry in 1907. The Ohio National Guard post that is located just 5 miles west of Port Clinton, Ohio on State Highway 2 has been the home of the Matches ever since. Each year over six thousand competitors, family members and volunteers who support the Matches travel to Camp Perry to be part of this great  national shooting festival and series of national championships. Camp Perry has become hallowed ground to virtually all of these National Matches participants.

The “Friends of Camp Perry” is an organization comprised mainly of civic and business leaders in the Port Clinton area and individuals who know and love Camp Perry. The Friends of Camp Perry’s mission is to promote the health and welfare of the troops who train at Camp Perry, to preserve the history and traditions of Camp Perry and to support the National Matches at Camp Perry. Members of the organization volunteer their time to initiate and support many special projects that benefit Camp Perry and the National Matches.

On of the most exciting new Friends of Camp Perry endeavors is the sale of bricks for a Shooters’ Memorial Plaza walkway. The Shooters’ Memorial Plaza is being established in the area immediately in front of the main flagpole at Camp Perry and the Critchfield Monument by the flagpole. Anyone who likes the idea of creating this memorial and who wants to be part of the effort to raise funds to make it a permanent part of Camp Perry, can purchase an engraved brick for $50. You can purchase a brick to memorialize a friend or relative. Each brick can be engraved with up to three lines of text with a maximum of 14 characters per line. The texts on the bricks will become specific memorials to past or present National Matches competitors or volunteers. There will be approximately 1,400 bricks sold to create the base for the Shooters Plaza.

The artist’s drawing shows how this plaza will truly become a beautiful tribute to Camp Perry and the individuals who have made it so special to the thousands who come there each year. Download the order form to make your purchase. If you would like more information on some of the projects that the Friends of Camp Perry have been doing, you can go to their website at www.friendsofcampperry.com or www.friendsofcampperry.org.

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