Women recognized for donations to Cameron veterans home

By Ashley Luthans

Two area women were celebrated Thursday for their contributions to the Missouri Veterans Home — Cameron, together raising more than $100,000 annually for the organization.

Community members and Missouri Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe came out to recognize Neva Woody and Amy Ford at the veterans home. The celebration was hosted by the Cameron Veterans Home Assistance League and was open to the public.

Woody has hosted “Shoot like a Girl” trap shoots for the past 11 years, raising $65,000 for the Veterans Home just last year. Woody estimates that by the end of this year, she will have donated a total of $500,000 to the Cameron Veterans Home Assistance League.

Woody said she started her program to get women involved in shooting, and donating to the veterans home was the perfect way to give back.

“We started out as a charity to get more women to shoot, to empower women to be safe with firearms,” Woody said. “In addition to that, we were having income. And I wanted to donate the income and give back to the community. And I’m an Air Force brat; my dad served in the Air Force in Korea. And, you know, I’ve seen firsthand what our veterans go through for support and I just thought it was just such a worthy cause. And with the home right here in Cameron, it was just kind of a no-brainer to make them the object of that charity.”

Ford raised $60,000 for the Veterans Home Assistance League this year with her UTV Patriot Ride, which she has hosted for the past six years. Ford has raised about $165,000 total for the Veterans Home Assistance League.

Ford explained why it’s important to give support to veterans.

“They paid the ultimate sacrifice for us,” Ford said. “Whether they’re still living or not, they make it possible for us to do what we need to do. And this is just a way for us to give back … They deserve more than we could ever give them, so that’s why it’s so important.”

Ford’s Patriot Ride takes place every April. Woody’s first trap shooting fundraiser of 2024 will take place on Aug. 3.