The Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation has announced that the late Joel Campora, Wildlife Officer First Class, will be one of four men inducted into the Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame this year.
Officer Campora lost his life in the line of duty in the early morning hours of May 31, 2013 while assisting in a rescue effort of two women in Y City. He and Polk County Sheriff Cody Carpenter were working to rescue two women who had been trapped in their house by flash flood waters. All four died when the boat capsized.
Campora had worked for the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office before joining the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission.
Other inductees include Steve Bowman, George Dunklin, Jr. and Jerry Fisk. Bowman is an accomplished outdoor writer and editor, Dunklin, Jr. is a former AG&FC Commissioner, and Fisk is an internationally recognized master bladesmith and artist.
Jim Gaston will be presented with the Legacy Award for his work in the establishment of trout fishing in Arkansas.
“These inductees were carefully chosen for their sacrifice, contributions and talents and we are proud to add these names to the list of the other 83 past inductees,” said Chuck Dicus, president of the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation. “Legacy Award winner Jim Gaston has spent a lifetime working to establish a trout habitat in Arkansas and been a tireless supporter of the minimum water flow management regime,” Dicus said.
The annual Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame Banquet will be held on Friday, August 21 at the Statehouse Convention Center. Tickets for the August 21st event are $100 and tables of ten are available for $1,000 each. The reception and silent auction will begin at 6 p.m., and dinner will begin at 7 p.m.
“The proceeds from this event support important program initiatives the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation is a part of throughout the year, all of which positively impact outdoor enthusiasts across the state,” said Dicus.
To purchase tickets to the event or for more information, contact the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation office at 501-223-6468 or email Lori.lynch@agff.org.
The Foundation, created in 1982, is an independently operated foundation supporting the goals of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Proceeds from the August 21st banquet and silent auction will help finance the Foundation’s continuing mission to support youth education initiatives that focus on the outdoors including archery, youth shooting sports programs, fishing programs and education centers that serve young Arkansans.
