After using Grassy Lake Hunting Club for our home base for the first two weeks, UCCEO was recently able to sit down and meet with Collin Cain, owner of the hunting club. Collin and his father, Gerald Cain, were instrumental in bringing the CEO program to Union County by providing a significant portion of the initial start up cost. Gerald passed away a few years ago but Collin has continued to not only invest in the UCCEO program but also continues the legacy of giving back to his community in other ways, one of which is a Wounded Warrior hunt each year!
During our visit, Collin discussed the need for a business to change and grow over time and to never remain stagnate. He also talked about how the end of goose hunting, which was a large tourist attraction in the area, affected more than just the hunting club. It also affected many different businesses in our community including, hotels, restaurants, gas stations, etc. as fewer tourists were coming to the area.
The AJ Wildcats student, Alexis Houseman shares her reflections on our visit:
“On Thursday we were back at Grassy Lake Hunting Club but we were actually able to talk to Collin Cain this time. It is amazing that so many famous people have come to our area to hunt at Grassy Lake. Collin seemed very humble. I do not know of any other hunting clubs in this area but he has been smart enough to keep his going. It is very impressive how he knew he had to change and adapt to the challenges he faced and he did not just give up when it got hard. His dedication and perseverance is what has made his club what it is today and kept it alive.
I would not have known that Collin has faced cancer as a young man and weathered the lack of geese that threatened his business because he seems like such a positive guy. Hearing his story was eyeopening and a good reminder to stay humble no matter what you face and overcome. All of his own personal feats also made him telling us he was proud of us, all the more special. It felt really good to hear him say he was proud of us and lifted my spirits a little. I was very touched to be honest, because it was just nice to hear. I hope we can listen to him again because I feel like we have so much we can learn from him.”
You can see in the following pictures of our visit and of the walls at the club, how much history, love and friendship has been experienced there over the years. You may also notice another gentleman in one of the pictures. He is Mr. Jim Schneiter and he and Collin have been friends for over 50 years. He was visiting Collin and joined us for our meeting. Jim is a successful businessman and after this interaction, he offered to share his story with us in the near future. He also shared some tidbits of information about Collin that we didn’t know. If you see the black and white photo in this post, it was taken when Collin won the 1974 State Goose Calling Championship!! Collin isn’t one to brag on himself, but we were excited to learn about this accomplishment!
Thank you Collin, for sharing your stories and your club with us and your gracious and generous support of UCCEO! 🦆🚜🪿🌽❤️
