Mark Charbonneau is a volunteer for Friends of NRA who is up for the 2011 North American Hunter Club Mentor of the Year award - a contest to recognize members of the NAHC who make a positive difference in the hunting community.

A member of the Hunterdon Hills Friends of NRA in New Jersey, Mark “is a shining star helping and sharing with youth sports and Hunters Helping the Hungry in NJ,”  said Brian Swartz, NRA field rep for New Jersey. 

You can help Mark receive this great award by voting for him online. Just go to http://www.nahcmentor.com, click on Mark's picture and hit the 'Vote Now' button. With your help we can help a great member of the NRA family get recognized for his contributions to hunting.

From Mark's bio on the North American Hunter Club Mentor of the Year website:

Mark Charbonneau spends countless hours as a hunter education instructor for New Jersey and is certified to teach field in the archery, shotgun, rifle and muzzleloader categories. Mark also organizes and supervises the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife annual youth bird hunt while volunteering all year long at statewide events to instruct shotgun shooting.

During hunting season, many non-hunting adults inquire about hunting and Mark has converted quite a few over the years to become hunter certified. Cautious parents call Mark regularly and trust him to take their children hunting, whether it’s for their first hunt or for general guidance and knowledge.

As an accomplished hunter and instructor, he has been asked to assist in Wounded Warrior Hunts, where Mark has worked along side a soldier during his hunt.

Mark’s proudest moment, however, came this past year. As a Trustee for Hunters Helping the Hungry, his non-profit organization served 1,000,000 venison meals to those in need in New Jersey. The news captured the attention of the “Friends of NRA” TV show. The show’s host, Matt Duff, and producer, David Abbot, came to Mark’s home with their film crew to interview and discuss Hunters Helping the Hungry. The show will air in the Outdoor Channel in January. Mark’s passion and commitment remain strong all while balancing the demands of a career and a family.

From Mark: "Being recognized from the North America Hunting Club as a finalist for the honor of mentor of the year is indescribable. This is a very proud time for my family and I. The support my wife and children show me due to the hours sacrificed away from them, the encouragement and thank you responses from grandparents, parents and students of the shooting and hunting sports, and last but definitely not least, helping those not as fortunate as most be able to make sure their children do not go to bed hungry makes it all worthwhile."

Mark will also be featured on season 2 of the Friends of NRA TV show on The Outdoor Channel. Keep checking back on NRAblog or http://friendsofnra.tv for more information about the upcoming season.