As it has since 2006, Abilene Clay Sports will organize the Clay Break Classic to benefit the Ben Richie Boys Ranch and Family Program on May 4.

Mike Short, Abilene Clay Sports manager said they set up 12 stations with two targets for competitors to shoot from.

“You’ll have incoming targets, targets going side to side with rabbit targets that run along the ground,” Short said.

Short said it is an easy and fun course to compete on.

“We try to set it up so it’s not really challenging because a lot of the people who come here aren’t regular target shooters, and we’d like to have 50 percent of the people break 50 percent or above,” Short said.

The competition benefits the Ben Richie Boys Ranch & Family Program, which helps single-parent families and other youth. Between 150 and 200 people sign up, and participants get 100 rounds on a team of four to five for the first round. They are scored by the clays that they hit from zero to 100.

Melinda Scott, secretary of the Boys Ranch benefits committee, said the ranch has helped at risk boys in Abilene since 1947.

Former Abilene City Commissioner Ben Richey created the ranch in 1947 along with his wife Jamie. The City Council gave 300 acres of land on Lake Kirby where the ranch was built. In 1972, they renamed the Boys Ranch after him in his honor.

“They’ve helped a lot of boys through the years that are either troubled or difficult to handle.”

Scott said Abilene Clay Sports, with a course and pavilion, has been gracious to host the tournament.

“They only charge us so much per shooter to cover their expense and anything above that is complete profit for us to give to the boys.”

Boys from the ranch also participate in the tournament or help clean up.

Last year they raised $62,000 for the Boys Ranch and have raised over $850,000 since 2005.

At the event, they also have a silent and live auction to raise money for the Ranch.

Tax-deductible raffle tickets are available to purchase for $100, equivalent to 25 entries in a drawing for a new shotgun.