Lake Of The Ozarks Shootout Announces Record-Breaking $675,000 In Donations – Speed on the Water

In what has become an incredible tradition for an exceptional event—the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout in Central Missouri—the annual Presentation of Checks took place this evening at Performance Boat Center in Osage Beach, Mo., and the event’s board of directors was proud to announce another record-breaking donation amount of $675,000.

With Leah Martin (right in red shirt) on one end and little Kinley Manire on the other end, several members of the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout board of directors and sponsors presented a check showcasing the record-setting $675,000 the event is donating this year. Photos courtesy Lake of the Ozarks Shootout

According to a press release from newly hired Lake of the Ozarks Shootout editor Christy Wagner, the donation, which exceeded the 2022 amount by $50,000, is being distributed across a series of 39 checks to local charities, police and fire departments, allowing for funds raised during the 2023 season to continuously sustain basic needs and safety for countless families and animals across the Lake of the Ozarks.

“We have worked year-round to ensure that this event is deemed a continued success for everyone involved, and we have waited for this very moment, when we are finally able to witness the direct impact that these funds have on our community and dozens of charities that the Shootout supports each year,” said Leah Martin, who came on board as executive director of the event in 2021.

During her introduction, Martin, who helped present the checks at Thursday night’s event in the Performance Boat Center showroom, thanked the Shootout’s many sponsors, volunteers and participants, and credited an immeasurable number of individuals working behind the scenes to safeguard the profits and success of the event each year. She said that more than 10,000 volunteer hours were logged throughout the year on Shootout-related events.

“The combined efforts of many are what make extraordinary evenings like tonight possible,” she added, pointing to the continued growth of the event’s donations—the amount has almost doubled in five years—and its focus on doing right by the Shootout’s mission.

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Check out the slideshow above for more images from this evening’s check presentation. Photos courtesy Brad Glidewell/Lake Expo and Lake of the Ozarks Shootout.

“Everyone should be proud of what the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout has accomplished, it’s very impressive,” Brett Manire—the co-owner of Performance Boat Center, which has been title sponsor of the event for 10 years—said before the record-setting amount was announced.

Although he was unable to attend tonight’s presentation, board president Ron Duggan, who owns the Shootout host venue, Captain Ron’s Bar & Grill in Sunrise Beach, recorded a heartfelt video to announce the total.

“We are just thrilled that the Shootout continues to grow each year and that we are able to donate more,” said Duggan, who took over the Shootout in 2008 and first hit the $100,000-donation mark in 2012. “We want to attract more and more people to come and be a part of the Shootout, while allowing them to experience everything that this incredible event has to offer. We would love to hit three quarters of a million dollars in 2024, and hopefully we can donate that amount next year.”