In the past several years, the N.C. State chapter of Ducks Unlimited has grown exponentially and is now the largest collegiate Ducks Unlimited chapter in the state, and the second largest collegiate chapter in the nation. The national collegiate rankings are based upon the amount of money that each chapter raises, and the N.C. State chapter trailed Texas A&M University by less than $2,000 this past year.  

Trent Nelson, a senior in turfgrass management and the president of the N.C. State chapter of Ducks Unlimited, has seen the chapter grow exponentially in the past several years. Nelson and about 30 other students worked together to put on the Ducks Unlimited banquet.

“My freshman year we had less than 250 people in attendance at the banquet,” Nelson said. “But two years ago 679 people came, and last year nearly a thousand people came out, raising over $60,000 for Ducks Unlimited.”

Brandon Belch, a senior in agronomic business, has supported Ducks Unlimited since high school. Now, as a four-year member of the Ducks Unlimited chapter, Belch has helped lead the banquet committee.

“Since the beginning of this semester at school, other committee members and I have been spreading the word about the banquet as well as trying to get sponsorships,” Belch said. “We have put forth countless hours trying to coordinate food, raffle items and entertainment for the banquet.”

Trey O’Ferrell, a junior in agronomic business, has also been involved in the Ducks Unlimited chapter since his freshman year.  O’Ferrell believes the banquet this year will be “bigger and better” than those in the past, which he has always enjoyed.

“The Ducks Unlimited banquet has been great. It is something I look forward to every year; it’s a blast. You eat a good meal, listen to a live music and spend money on a worthy cause,” O’Ferrell said.

As a member and leader of the banquet committee, O’Ferrell met with fair ground staff to lease the Gov. Kerr Scott Building for this year’s banquet.

“The banquet this year is going to be bigger and better, but without the hard work of a great bunch of guys, this event would never happen,” O’Ferrell said. “Whenever you get 30 guys together that enjoy the same stuff you do, you make friends quickly. But many of the members are graduating in December, and we need people to help with the spring. Any student can join.”

“Hopefully this year’s banquet will help us raise enough money to surpass Texas A&M, and become the number one collegiate Ducks Unlimited chapter in the United States,” Nelson said.

“It is a great place to have a good time while helping out a good cause at the same time,” Belch said. “As we always say in Ducks Unlimited, we are ‘Doing it for the Ducks!'”